DEUTSCHE BANK AG ZURICH (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's (>> Deutsche Bank AG) Swiss unit is working with U.S. officials as part of a crackdown on wealthy Americans evading taxes through hidden offshore accounts, a spokeswoman for the bank said on Thursday.
About 100 Swiss banks signed up to work with U.S. authorities at the end of last year in a programme brokered by the Swiss government to help the banks make amends for aiding tax evasion.
The programme requires the banks to hand over some previously hidden information and could involve financial penalties, depending on whether they were compliant with U.S. tax rules or not.
"I can confirm that we are taking part in the U.S. programme," the spokeswoman told Reuters on Thursday.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Deutsche Bank's Swiss unit had entered the U.S. self-reporting programme, citing people familiar with the matter.
Deutsche Bank’s Swiss business has about 13,000 clients, though the number of U.S. clients is insignificant, the newspaper said.
Unlisted banks are under no obligation to disclose they are taking part in the programme, although a host of Swiss banks came forward last year to say they would work with U.S. authorities.
The Swiss units of Goldman Sachs Group Inc (>> Goldman Sachs Group Inc) and Morgan Stanley (>> Morgan Stanley) have also agreed to hand over details to U.S. authorities about how they may have helped Americans evade taxes, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.
(Reporting by Oliver Hirt; writing by Caroline Copley; editing by David Clarke)
