Federal Council: first renegotiated tax treaty subject to optional referendum

In a statement released on 8 April 2009, the Swiss Federal Council announced that the first tax treaty containing the new provisions on administrative assistance shall be subject to an optional referendum. Any subsequent tax treaties will only be subject to an optional referendum if they contain significant new obligations compared to the existing treaties. The final decision as to whether or not a tax treaty will be subject to an optional referendum lies with the parliament.

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