Credit Suisse penalized more than $510 million for helping wealthy US clients evade taxes

Core Viewpoint - Credit Suisse Services AG will pay over $510 million in penalties for aiding U.S. taxpayers in evading taxes through offshore accounts, as part of a guilty plea and non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Penalties and Agreements - The total amount of over$510 million includes penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines related to the bank's actions [2]. - The guilty plea and non-prosecution agreement involve conspiring to hide over $4 billion in assets held by wealthy clients through offshore accounts [2][3]. - Credit Suisse's non-prosecution agreement specifically addresses undeclared accounts worth over$2 billion held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore from 2014 to June 2023 [6]. Group 2: Conduct and Violations - Credit Suisse Services AG conspired with employees and U.S. customers to willfully aid in concealing ownership and control of assets from January 2010 to July 2021 [3]. - The bank provided offshore private banking services that facilitated the hiding of assets from the IRS, violating a previous 2014 plea agreement [5]. - Prior to the settlement, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee found that Credit Suisse violated its 2014 agreement by continuing to assist in tax evasion, concealing over $700 million from the government [9]. Group 3: UBS Involvement - UBS, which acquired Credit Suisse in March 2023, stated it was not involved in the underlying conduct and has a zero-tolerance policy for tax evasion [10]. - UBS has committed to cooperating with ongoing investigations and providing further information about U.S. accounts as part of the agreement [8]. - The acquisition of Credit Suisse was driven by concerns of its potential collapse, and UBS aims to resolve legacy issues promptly [12][10].