A report published by the New York Times on Saturday says that media giant Apple has avoided paying billions of dollars in US taxes by setting up small offices around the world to collect and invest the company's profits.
In 1970's New York, "Serpico" was the cop who fought against police corruption. Today in Italy, it's the name of a computer system tackling tax evasion. With the country on the brink of recession, Rome misses out on over 100 billion euros a year in unpaid taxes. Yet for some Italians the system is less like a crime-busting policeman than Orwell's "Big Brother"; a dangerous intrusion into their privacy.
Chinese authorities have ordered Ai Weiwei to pay $2.4 million in back taxes and fines in what his supporters have described as the latest attempt to silence the outspoken artist, who was detained for nearly three months earlier this year.
In mid-August, the Italian government voted through a 45.5-billion euro austerity plan. But back-tracking and political wrangling has left several of those measures unravelling. Amongst them was a crackdown on tax evasion. It's a problem which costs Italy's economy an estimated 120 billion euros a year. We take a closer look at the government's fight against the tax dodgers.
The Swiss Bankers Association on Monday spoke out against another possible tax treaty with the United States that could force Swiss banks to divulge details of their American clients suspected of dodging US taxes.
Angela Merkel has been hailed as the world's most powerful woman by Forbes, but is not so popular back home. Also, we look at how the Italian government plans to try to curb tax evasion. Finally, Abkhazia, which is only recognized by four other countries, has just elected a new president.
Credit Suisse disclosed on Friday that it is the target of a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department as part of a larger probe into offshore private banking and suspected tax evasion.
Prosecutors are investigating Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax evasion regarding tax declarations for 2003 and 2004 linked to his Mediaset media holdings. Berlusconi's son and other senior managers are also under inquiry.
Switzerland is cooperating with a French investigation into the financial assets of L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. A Geneva judge says the inquiry is on whether Europe's richest woman was "cheated or abused in the management of her assets."
French police searched several homes and offices on Monday as part of a probe into allegations of tax evasion on the part of billionaire l'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and illegal donations to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 campaign.
