Different tax systems exist within Europe. This is a consequence of deliberate political decisions. This is also true of Liechtenstein and Germany. People who fail to declare their taxable income in their tax domicile are subject to penalties. In recent cases involving alleged tax evasion by German companies, this is a matter for the tax authorities of Germany, not those of Liechtenstein.

I am convinced that accusations levelled in the heat of the moment against the financial location of Liechtenstein are completely out of place. In recent years, we have made great efforts to bring to justice criminals who are guilty of money laundering, the financing of terrorist acts and corruption. For instance, the investigations of corruption at Siemens was initiated in Liechtenstein: a Liechtenstein bank submitted a suspicious activity report in accordance with the Due Diligence Act, and our public prosecutor launched an investigation. With our planned accession to the Schengen agreement on open borders we will extend mutual legal assistance to cover an even broader range of offences, including tax fraud. We are also currently negotiating an anti-fraud agreement with the European Union.