Tax minister lashes Switzerland over Danish tax exiles’ debts
It is by no means easy to claw back monies owed to the state when the debtors have left the country and settled in another one
According to figures from the Tax Ministry, as of 31 December 2018 there were around 800 Danes living in Switzerland who owed the Danish state around 175 million kroner in unpaid taxes.
Unfortunately for the tax minister, Karsten Lauritzen, Switzerland is the only large western European country that does not have a reciprocal agreement with Denmark when it comes to tracking down and retrieving unpaid taxes.
For the last two years the minister has been negotiating to remedy this, but now Denmark has been told that Switzerland will not help after all.
Up the garden path
“I’m extremely disappointed that a country that is so well developed and so advanced technically and economically can live with the fact that swindlers, fraudsters and people who don’t pay their tax debts can legally travel there and be protected,” Lauritzen said to TV2.
Lauritzen also feels the Swiss government has led him on during the negotiations and never had any intention of changing the rules.
“You have debts to the Danish state, the German state or to any of the countries surrounding Switzerland and then you can just stuff a suitcase with money and remain safe with the blessing of Swiss politicians. I really think that is despicable,” the minister added.
Lauritzen is now pinning his hopes on the idea of bringing the matter up at a European level when the elections for the new European Parliament are over and the new Commission has been appointed.
