Cooperation on tax evasion must improve, says Commission

The European Commission has called on European Union (EU) member governments to boost their cooperation against tax fraud, as “there remains a huge gap between the amounts for which assistance is requested and amounts actually recovered through mutual assistance”. Brussels said it would make specific proposals to improve coordination in 2007, strengthening and streamlining cooperation rules, and “facilitating their practical use”. The Commission claimed that while member states helped each other recover €13.8 million in lost or evaded tax in 2004 this was a miniscule 1.82% of sums for which assistance was requested.