Offshore Tax Haven | featured news

The Government Accountability Office likes to point its finger at Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands for sheltering tax cheats. But according to the U.K.-based Tax Justice Network, the United States is the biggest tax shelter of 'em all, thanks to the great state of Delaware.

Swiss bank UBS AG warned U.S. customers by registered mail their account details may be given to U.S. tax authorities, a method that could itself breach secrecy laws, a Swiss paper said on Sunday.

Faced with a Thursday midnight deadline to avoid possible prosecution, more than 7,500 Americans have come clean about secret foreign bank accounts, a senior IRS official said in an interview for broadcast tonight on "ABC World News with Charles Gibson."

Under an amnesty program, the IRS is allowing taxpayers to avoid prosecution for failing to report those accounts. Tax attorneys have been besieged by wealthy clients who are lining up to apply.

Wealthy U.S.

OECD confirms the country will go off their grey list following the signing of a 12th agreement on Thursday.

U.S. regulators will receive the names as part of an investigation of Americans avoiding taxes through the use of offshore accounts.

The British Virgin Islands and the Cayman islands have joined the global "white list" of countries using internationally recognized tax standards, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Friday.

Negotiators initial settlement that averts legal showdown over U.S. government's landmark challenge to Swiss bank secrecy, lawyer says.

Reuters - Switzerland's UBS will not have to pay a fine as part of the settlement of a tax evasion dispute with the United States, two Swiss newspapers reported on Sunday.

U.S. has been seeking data on depositors suspected of using UBS bank accounts to hide cash from IRS.