HSBC, Bank of multinational financial services company headquartered in the UK, “helped” their rich evade millions of dollars in taxes through its subsidiary Swiss customers, according to research conducted by various international media. The inquiry, which took part in the BBC Panorama shows how bankers of the institution program offered to its customers agreements for evaders were one step ahead of the law.
The revelations are based on stolen in 2007 by Hervé Falciani computer expert, who works at the headquarters of HSBC in Geneva, Switzerland data. These documents contain details of more than 100,000 customers worldwide, including Latin America, and the data were passed to the authorities in France.
Having offshore accounts is not illegal in many parts of the world, yet many people use to hide money from the tax authorities of their countries
Photo: BBCMundo.com <. / div>
The bank now faces a criminal investigation in the United States, France, Belgium and Argentina. However, in the UK, where the entity is headquartered, has not taken legal action against you. HSBC admitted that some individuals took advantage of bank secrecy have undeclared accounts. But said that now all that has “fundamentally changed”. He added that, given the new revelations It cooperates with the authorities.
Active assistance
Having offshore accounts is not illegal in many parts of the world; However, many people use to hide money from the tax authorities of their countries. Some customers of HSBC could draw undeclared money from ATMs abroad.
And while seeking legal ways to pay less taxes is perfectly permissible, hiding money to evade taxes it is not. The indictment alleges that HSBC not only turned a blind eye as evaders, but in some cases violated the law by actively helping their customers. When new laws were introduced in Europe in 2005 for the Swiss banks collect taxes from accounts not declared and the pass to the respective treasuries, instead of charging such sums HSBC he wrote to his clients and offered ways to circumvent the new taxes , according to research.
In one of the cases cited in BBC Panorama, the bank gave him a wealthy family a credit card abroad so he could get his money undeclared ATM outside the UK. Richard Brooks, one exinspector British taxes and author of “Grand Theft taxes,” he said of the practices of HSBC: “I think it was a service of legal and illegal tax evasion I think that was what they offered.”. “They were fully aware that people came to them to evade their tax obligations.”
“Merchants of arms dealers and dictators”
Among the supposed beneficiaries of this system politicians, businessmen, sports stars, celebrities and criminals and traffickers are included, says research. The investigation is based on the leaked by Hervé Falciani computer expert. The International Consortium Reporters Researchers (ICIJ, for its acronym in English) obtained the documents leaked by technology expert Hervé Falciani through the French daily Le Monde, and these were shared with 45 media organizations worldwide.
ICIJ reported that the bank took advantage of negotiating with “arms merchants …, assistant Third dictators, traffickers blood diamonds and other international criminals.” According to analysts, these revelations will surely multiply it calls for more sophisticated control systems with millionaires and multinational corporations to evade taxes.
Among the alleged beneficiaries of this system include political , businessmen, sports stars, celebrities and criminals and traffickers, says research
. Photo: Getty Images
Following recent reports, there were calls for Switzerland to investigate a Swiss investigation against the bank already facing criminal investigations in several countries, including Argentina was urged. A end of November 2014, the Argentine Tax denounced the local subsidiary of HSBC for allegedly helping 4,040 Argentine taxpayers to evade taxes in Switzerland.
The information was obtained by the Argentine government thanks an agreement with France. The head of the Federal Administration of Public Revenue Argentina (AFIP), Ricardo Echegaray, said at the time that among those suspected of evading taxes was “renowned personalities”, but did not disclose the identities.
Scandal and politics
According to research “aid” was made through its subsidiary in Switzerland. HSBC, meanwhile, said he was “cooperating with the relevant authorities” and ensuring that follows a transparent fiscal policy, but-according to the BBC Panorama program entity faces no legal action in UK headquarters its operations.
The leaked documents include details of almost 7,000 British customers with many of those accounts that were not declared to the tax authorities. The tax service UK (HMRC, for its acronym in English) received data in 2010 and identified 1,100 people who had paid taxes. However, almost five years later, only one evader has been processed.
The scandal has entered the British political arena where after three months of general elections, the main parties, the Conservative and Labour, they are launching accusations of mishandling the situation
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