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Artificial island Palm Jumeirah in Dubai
Photo: Bachir Moukarzel / Amazing Aerial Agency / INTERFOTO
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) had the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) purchase data for the first time in order to uncover massive tax fraud.
This is comprehensive information on assets in Dubai.
Millions of taxpayers are affected, including several thousand Germans who, among other things, have land and real estate in the Gulf emirate.
Scholz expects the purchase to uncover significant cross-border tax crimes.
Two million euros for sensitive data
The data provided insights into assets that were hidden from the tax authorities in Dubai, according to the ministry.
In addition to clearing up criminal offenses, the data also ensured that the tax authorities would have full access to cross-border transactions.
This would avoid loss of income.
The data was offered by an anonymous informant; the purchase cost the BZSt around two million euros.
After the secret handover of the material, the data is currently with the Bonn authority.
Next week it will be handed over to the tax authorities of the federal states so that they can examine aspects of criminal tax law and, if necessary, initiate investigations.
So far, only federal states had bought tax data, the procedure is considered controversial.
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