If anyone is looking for a new career, how about IRS Informant–$104 Million Bounty.
This new opportunity results from IRS Awards $104 million to the Swiss banker whom US just released from jail. Bradley Berkenfeld has turned whistleblower after helping wealthy Americans evade paying income taxes.
I guess we can take some consolation in the fact New York Times reports Birkenfeld must pay tax on his windfall. I wonder what his tax rate will be and how long it will be before it is stashed in Cayman Islands.
As I suggested on another tread, perhaps Birkenfeld should be appointed to replace Douglas Shulman as IRS Commissioner.
According to Globe and Mail, Swiss are fuming over US hypocrisy.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/european-business/swiss-fume-at-us-hypocrisy-over-whistleblowers-payout/article4539487
“It’s the height of hypocrisy if the U.S. is one day sentencing the guy to 40 months in prison and the next give him the highest reward,” Pirmin Bischof, of the centre-right Christian Democrats and a member of parliament’s upper house, told Reuters.
The Birkenfeld case provides a clear example of the schizophrenic nature of the US system.
@John Brown: Who says crime doesn’t pay?
Although he would be great at promoting FATCA, I think Birkenfeld will likely pass on any offer to become IRS Commissioner. Probably managing Romeny-Bain in Cayman Islands would be a better option for him–except Romney probably doesn’t want a whistleblower. So, Birkenfeld can just stash his new found wealth there and lay on the beaches.
There was a clip this morning on CBC tv of Birkenfeld justifying it. I can’t find it online anywhere though. He sounded extremely defensive, so I’m sure he’s aware of the optics, and how he’s generally viewed.
According to Financial Post, CRA did not pursue information from Birkenfeld about possible Canadian tax cheats.
In Different Ways to Catch A Tax Cheat, Financial Post says “When it comes to making sure people pay their taxes, you’ve got to hand it to the Americans. They’re not afraid to knock a few heads together.”
The problem is we are paying our taxes–where we live, earn, save, invest–and are citizens. Yet, IRS wants to knock our heads around too.
Birkenfeld broke many Swiss laws and must be jailed should Switzerland ever get their hands on him. What I am wondering now, where is the RED NOTICE issued by Switzerland for him just as they did for the guy that sold HSBC data and was eventually arrested in Spain and returned to Switzerland for criminal prosecution.