Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Swiss Federal Council: Ratification

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A decision made on 23 October 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-C-2013-0119
Decision Summary Title :	Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council		Date of Decision Summary:	17th October 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Project and Research Officer		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council for the Exchange of Information on Tax Matters.		Date of Written Report:	17th October 2013
Written Report Author:	Adviser – External Relations		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council
Decision(s): The Minister for External Relations agreed to lodge ‘au Greffe’ the Report and Proposition inviting the States to ratify the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council for the Exchange of Information on Tax Matters.
Reason(s) for Decision: The Agreement entered into with the Swiss Federal Council is a continuation of the ongoing programme of signing tax agreements with EU, OECD and G20 member jurisdictions. The Agreement with the Swiss Federal Council was signed by the Chief Minister on the 16th September 2013. The Agreement is now being presented to the States for ratification, following which it will be published and entered into the official record. The Agreement will enter into force when the domestic procedures of both parties have been completed.
Resource Implications: There are no resource implications.
Action required: The Greffier of the States is requested to arrange for the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the States of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council to be lodged ‘au Greffe’.
Signature:		Position: Minister for External Relations
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Swiss Federal Council: Ratification

Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council for the Exchange of Information on Tax Matters.

PROPOSITION

The States are asked to decide whether they are of opinion-

To ratify the Agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Swiss Federal Council for the exchange of information on tax matters, as set out in the appendix to the report of the Chief Minister dated 14th October 2013.

MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

REPORT

Background

1. In February 2002, Jersey entered into a political commitment to support the OECD tax initiative on transparency and information exchange through the negotiation of tax information exchange agreements to an agreed international standard.

2. In September 2009, the Global Forum on Transparency and Information Exchange for Tax Purposes, a body of which some 120 jurisdictions are now members, agreed a peer review process to assess compliance with the international standard. To oversee this process, a peer review group was set up chaired by France with four vice chairs from India, Japan, Jersey and Singapore.

3. Successive G20 summits have encouraged jurisdictions to make progress in agreeing, implementing and abiding by the necessary international agreements for information exchange. In response Jersey has maintained an active programme of negotiating agreements with EU, OECD and G20 member jurisdictions. This has served to enhance the Island’s international personality, and generally has helped to engender a more favorable view of the Island amongst the international community.

4. The international tax information exchange standard can be met through either a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) or a Double Tax Agreement (DTA). The advantage of a DTA is that it offers benefits to individuals and the business community through the avoidance of double taxation or reduced rates of withholding tax, in addition to providing for exchange of information to the international standard. However, the majority of jurisdictions with whom the island has sought to negotiate an agreement have not been prepared to consider a DTA on the grounds that they would derive little, if any, benefit from such an agreement because Jersey is a zero tax jurisdiction.

6. The latest position in respect of the programme of negotiating tax agreements in attached as an appendix to this report. A total of thirty two TIEAs and eight DTAs have now been signed of which twenty seven TIEAs and seven DTAs are in force. Almost without exception the delay in bringing agreements into force is due to the length of time taken by the other parties to the agreements to complete their domestics procedures for the ratification of the agreements.

7. As a Vice Chair of the Global Forum Peer Review Group, Jersey has been determined to lead by example, and has attached particular importance to entering into agreements with the EU, OECD and G20 member jurisdictions. Agreements have been signed, or negotiations have been completed or are well advanced, with twenty six of the twenty eight EU member states, thirty three of the thirty four OECD members and seventeen of the nineteen G20 countries(the 20th member of the G20 is the European Union) .

8. Jersey is party to the Peer Review process of assessment of compliance with the international standards, and a report of the assessment of Jersey was published at the end of October 2011. The review concluded that Jersey’s domestic laws provide a satisfactory framework for the exchange of relevant information. The assessors said “overall, this review of Jersey identifies a legal and regulatory framework for the exchange of information which generally functions effectively to ensure that the required information will be available and accessible….. Jersey practices to date have demonstrated a responsive and co-operative approach”

The Agreement with the Swiss Federal Council

9. The Agreement entered into with the Swiss Federal Council (“the Agreement”) is a continuation of the ongoing programme of entering into tax agreements to the international standard with EU, OECD and G20 member jurisdictions. Switzerland is a member of the OECD .

10. The Agreement is attached as an appendix to this report. The Agreement is in line with the OECD Model TIEA and provides for the exchange of information on tax matters on request. It is consistent with agreements signed previously with other jurisdictions and which the States have ratified.

11. Jersey and Switzerland have a great deal in common as international finance centres and the Agreement will serve to strengthen what is already an important business relationship.

Procedure for signing and ratifying the Agreement

12. The Jersey signing of the Agreement was undertaken by the Chief Minister in London in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador on the 16th September 2013. The signing was in accordance with the provisions of Article 18(2) of the States of Jersey Law 2005 and paragraph 1.8.5 of the Strategic Plan 2006-2011 adopted by the States on the 28th June 2006. The Council of Ministers has authorised the Chief Minister to sign on behalf of the Government of Jersey.

13. The Agreement is now being presented to the States for ratification, following which it will be published and entered into the official record. The agreement will enter into force when the domestic procedures of both parties have been completed.

14. The States on the 29th January 2008 adopted the Taxation (Exchange of Information with Third Countries) (Jersey) Regulations 2008. The Schedule to these Regulations lists the third countries, and includes the taxes covered by the agreements being entered into. The necessary Regulations to provide for the inclusion in the Schedule of the Swiss Federal Council, and the relevant taxes covered, are being separately presented to the States for adoption.

Financial and manpower implications

15. There are no implications expected for the financial and manpower resources of the States arising from the ratification and implementation of the Agreement.

14th October 2013