nach dem grossen "affentheater" um die eu-zinsabschlagssteuer/informationsaustausch in steuerfragen kommt jetzt - wie erwartet - die ernüchterung:


irland: ganze 400,000 euro
jersey: 15,000,000 euro
guersey: 4,500,000 euro


... in den ersten sechs monaten nach einführung der richtlinie! - zur erinnerung: der rückhalt umfasst 15% abzug für leistungen an eu-bürger


ein wahrlich imposanter erfolg!!!


ffbkdavid@creatrustconsult.com

www.creatrustconsult.com


- - - - - auszug originalartikel aus www.thepost.ie - - - - -


Irish residents with money held outside the country have switched their funds to new locations to avoid EU rules cracking down on offshore tax evasion.

Provisional figures from the Revenue Commissioners showed just €400,000 had been raised in taxes from Irish investors with money held in selected offshore centres, following the introduction of the EU Savings Directive, which took effect last year.

This figure is much lower than expected by tax experts, suggesting substantial funds had moved to locations not covered by the directive.

The directive laid down rules to force overseas banks and investment companies to report to the Revenue details of interest and other investment gains paid to Irish investors, or levy special withholding taxes of up to 35 per cent.

The new requirements, which apply to EU countries and other major financial centres such as Switzerland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, aimed to prevent Irish residents from evading tax due in Ireland on money held in offshore accounts.

Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg were the only EU countries to apply a withholding tax instead of exchanging information with other states.

Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the British Virgin Islands have also taken the option of applying a withholding tax, although the Cayman Islands, one of the world’s highest-profile centres for offshore investments, will exchange information with the Revenue here. The tax has been set at 15 percent of any interest or investment gains earned, although the rate will rise to 20p er cent after three years and 35 per cent from year six onwards.

Any taxes collected are split between the country of residence of the individual concerned and the country where the funds are located, with the country of residence claiming 75 per cent of the total. The Revenue has received around €300,000 from tax authorities in the jurisdictions where the withholding tax regime applies, with the host countries retaining a further €100,000.

The payments relate to the period between July and December last year, the first period covered by the directive.

The Revenue is also currently examining information passed on by tax authorities in countries with information-sharing deals with Ireland, to establish whether Irish residents fully declared income arising from investments in those countries.

A number of tax experts have criticised the directive because they claimed investors could switch money to locations outside the EU, to escape the withholding tax and prevent the Revenue from finding out about the existence of their investments. Other savers have left their money in place but restructured their investments through a corporate account or trust to avoid disclosure.

Authorities in Jersey recently said they had applied withholding taxes of just €15 million on payments to EU residents in the first six months of the new regime, while Guernsey has levied just €4.5million. Irish residents can offset the tax withheld from their overseas interest gains against Irish tax liabilities.

The Revenue said all Irish financial institutions covered by the directive had complied with their reporting obligations.

It used the information it had received to provide other tax authorities with details of payments to over 75,000 beneficiaries worth over €1.4 billion.