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Hans-Rudolf Merz, Swiss president

Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland is ready to revise its double tax treaty with Germany, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz told Peer Steinbrueck, the German finance minister, when the two met in Berlin Monday 22 June. Merz says the Swiss government wants to quickly implement its 13 March decision to bring Swiss tax law into line with international standards, but that Switzerland expects Germany to allow unhampered access by Swiss financial service providers to its markets and an agreement on taxation of Swiss airline employees who work in Germany, the government announced in a communiqué. Both men after the meeting played down the recent spat caused by Steinbrueck’s comments on Swiss banking secrecy.

Merz is in Berlin for an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) meeting on tax evasion. The OECD has told Switzerland that it must have 12 tax agreements in place by the end of 2009 in order to be removed from the organization’s “grey” list. It has negotiated new treaties with six countries, notably France and the US.

Background: “US-Switzerland initial revised double taxation agreement“, 19 June 2009, GenevaLunch