Tax authorities eye minister’s family firm

Bad news? The family firm of Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann is under the fiscal microscope Keystone

The Ammann construction group, owned by the family of Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, is being investigated by the Bernese tax authorities. The target of the investigation is a subsidiary in Jersey.

“There are indications that in recent years things might not have run optimally or correctly,” Bruno Knüsel, head of canton Bern’s tax administration, told the Rundschau programme on Swiss public television, SRF, on Wednesday.

“We’re now going to look at all our internal documents once again.”

The Ammann Group belongs to the family of Schneider-Ammann’s wife.

Rundschau based its report on tax documents revealing that for years the Ammann Group had placed assets in Jersey and Luxembourg, possibly to save on taxes.

It reported that at the end of 2008 the company held CHF264 million ($295 million) in Jersey. In 2009 – one year before Schneider-Ammann was elected to the cabinet – the money was transferred to Switzerland.

In a written statement to Rundschau, the Ammann Group said: “These companies were at all times openly declared and conform with Swiss and local law. The issue of tax residency was dealt with by the tax authorities and, to our knowledge, examined and regulated.”