Tax auth. starts hunt on Dutch with hidden money in Swiss bank accounts

The Dutch tax authorities' investigative service FIOD received details of 3,800 Dutch with hidden assets and savings in Swiss bank accounts from an anonymous source, AD reports. Based on this information, FIOD launched an international hunt for Dutch tax evaders on Thursday.

According to the Tax Authorities, the details about hidden assets in Swiss bank accounts can be compared to the Panama Papers that leaked last year. All 3,800 Dutch-linked accounts are with one Swiss bank, which the Dutch authorities would not name.

In cooperation with authorities in a number of countries, raids were done in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Great Britain and France on Thursday. In the Netherlands the FIOD raided properties in The Hague, Zwolle, Hoofddorp and Venlo. In these raids millions of euros worth of paintings, gold bars, cash, bank accounts and property were seized. Two people were arrested on suspicion of tax evasion by hiding assets.

The anonymous source also gave the Netherlands information about thousands of suspicious accounts not connected to Dutch clients. The Dutch government passed this information on to the relevant countries, according to Reuters.

FIOD director Hans van der Vlist told AD that more actions will definitely follow. According to him, "the net is closing" around people avoiding taxes by hiding their assets in foreign accounts.