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Banking secrecy in Switzerland is a legal provision that guarantees the confidentiality of information stored in bank accounts and other financial instruments in Swiss banks. This means that banks cannot disclose information about their clients to third parties without the client's consent or a court decision.
Banking secrecy was introduced in Switzerland in 1934 in response to requests from foreign governments for access to information about their citizens who could keep their savings in Swiss banks. It was introduced in order to protect customer privacy and strengthen the financial stability of Switzerland.
Banking secrecy in Switzerland has caused a lot of discussion and controversy. Some critics believe it facilitates tax evasion and criminal activities such as money laundering. At the same time, its supporters argue that it is necessary to protect the privacy and competitiveness of the Swiss banking sector.
Despite the fact that banking secrecy still exists in Switzerland, the Swiss government has made several changes to its provisions over the past ten years. Now banks must report accounts that belong to foreign citizens if they are located in "fiscal countries", that is, countries with which Switzerland has concluded an agreement on the automatic exchange of financial information. This means that Swiss banks are now required to report information about the accounts of foreign citizens to their governments if it is necessary for taxation.
Swiss banks are considered one of the most reliable in the world due to several factors:
In general, all these factors together have made Swiss banks one of the most reliable in the world. However, in light of recent changes in legislation related to banking secrecy, the reputation of some Swiss banks may be at risk.
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