Harper Government Announces New Measures to Crack Down on International Tax Evasion and Aggressive Tax Avoidance
(firmenpresse) - OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/08/13 -- The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), today announced new measures to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, including a $30-million investment by the Harper Government and the creation of a dedicated team to implement measures from Economic Action Plan 2013.
Through these actions, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will have an unprecedented ability to address these serious problems.
"Those who don't pay their taxes by hiding money overseas place an unfair burden on law-abiding, hardworking Canadians," said Minister Shea. "Our Government has long recognized that international tax evasion is a serious issue, and we are dedicated to cracking down on those who attempt to cheat the system."
The Harper Government's efforts to enhance the integrity of the tax system include a $30-million investment over five years for the CRA to target international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. This includes:
To ensure that these activities move forward quickly, a dedicated team of CRA experts will be created. This new team will be responsible for the implementation of the international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance measures announced in Economic Action Plan 2013. It will ensure that the full force of the agency's international compliance and auditing resources are brought to bear on individuals or businesses seeking to hide money or assets offshore.
These actions will increase the CRA's ability to audit, investigate, and pursue cases of international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Measures announced in Economic Action Plan 2013 include:
"Our Government is providing the CRA with further resources to ensure our tax system remains fair for Canadians who work hard and play by the rules," said Minister Bernier. "These new measures will provide additional tools to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, and improve the integrity of the tax system."
The Minister of National Revenue has also directed the CRA to continue to pursue all means available to obtain information that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and its members hold on individuals with income or property held offshore, reportedly including 450 Canadians. Written requests from the CRA have already been sent to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists as well as to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, underscoring the public interest in confidential disclosure of the information to the CRA.
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Minister Shea and Minister of State Bernier, announced today a $30-million investment and the creation of a dedicated team to implement measures from Economic Action Plan 2013 that will crack down on international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. "Our Government has long recognized that international tax evasion is a serious issue, and we are dedicated to cracking down on those who attempt to cheat the system," said Minister Shea.
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Backgrounder
Combatting international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance
What the Government is doing
International tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance using offshore accounts are world-wide concerns. The globalization of trade, the easy movement of people and money across borders, and the growth of electronic commerce have made international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance a focus for tax administrations around the world.
The Harper Government is combatting international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance as part of its work to protect the important resources that Canadians count on to support investments in schools, hospitals, and other vital government services. Hiding income and assets in foreign jurisdictions to avoid taxes is an offence that undermines the integrity and fairness of Canada's tax system.
Whether it is complex corporate schemes, individuals using offshore jurisdictions of concern, "tax havens", or tax shelter schemes that are used to avoid or evade tax, the Harper Government is committed to ensuring that non-compliance is identified and addressed through public information, education, research, international collaboration, audits, and other compliance actions.
The CRA has significantly improved its ability to obtain tax information from other jurisdictions, through revised tax treaties and Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) with non-treaty countries. Current, reliable information is key to the CRA's efforts to verify compliance with Canadian laws and reduce opportunities for abuse. Canada has one of the most extensive tax treaty networks in the world, with 90 tax treaties and 16 TIEAs now in force, 3 others signed, and another 11 under active negotiation.
The CRA's resources for audit in international tax planning have increased since 2006, and the CRA has added senior auditors to gather intelligence and constantly identify new ways to prevent and detect tax avoidance arrangements.
We are seeing results
The CRA has a solid record in finding and resolving cases where individuals were participating in or promoting aggressive offshore tax avoidance:
Word on the success of the CRA's focused approach is spreading-disclosures received through the CRA's Voluntary Disclosures Program involving offshore accounts or assets have increased from 1,215 in 2006-2007 to over 4,000 in 2011-2012. These disclosures revealed just under $1.5 ($1.497) billion in unreported income and over $400 ($416) million in federal taxes owing.
New measures announced in Economic Action Plan 2013 (EAP 2013) provide the CRA with additional tools to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.
The following new Economic Action Plan 2013 measures will further build the CRA's capacity to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance to ensure tax fairness for all Canadians:
Backgrounder
New CRA measures to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance
Investing in the integrity of the tax system
The Harper Government is investing $30 million over five years to enhance the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance-related activities. This includes new resources of $15 million through Economic Action Plan 2013 and $15 million from within the CRA's current resources.
Dedicated Implementation Team
The CRA is establishing a dedicated team to provide direction and oversight to accelerate the implementation of the international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance measures announced in Economic Action Plan 2013.
The team will be headed by a senior manager with in-depth knowledge of the tax system, who will report directly to the Commissioner of the CRA. It will draw from a variety of disciplines within the CRA, and will support resources across the Agency currently dedicated to international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. The team's mandate will be to work exclusively and full-time to advance all Economic Action Plan 2013 measures, so that these tools and the information they produce are quickly placed in the hands of researchers and auditors.
Contacts:
Clarke Olsen
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Revenue
613-995-2960
Noel Carisse
Canada Revenue Agency
Media Relations
613-952-9184
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Datum: 08.05.2013 - 15:15 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 257751
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