Friday, January 25, 2008


Europeans Want Asian Financial Centers to Join Savings Tax Cartel
Politicians from Europe’s high-tax governments recognize that saving and investment are escaping to jurisdictions with less-punitive tax regimes. But rather than lower their oppressive tax rates, they are trying to gain the ability to track – and tax – flight capital.

A couple of years ago, they implemented the so-called savings tax directive, but this system is ineffective (from the perspective of politicians) since many financial centers are not part of the cartel and many types of investment vehicles are not covered. Not surprisingly, politicians from nations such as France and Germany want to expand the tax cartel to cover more nations and to capture more forms of saving and investment.

Fortunately, as Tax-news.com reports, the Asian financial centers are not favorably disposed to serving as tax collectors for Europe’s inefficient welfare states....