site.btaBulgarian Tax Authorities Ask for Information about Panama Papers

Bulgarian Tax Authorities Ask for Information about Panama Papers

Sofia, April 5 (BTA) - Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency (NRA) said on April 4 it has officially requested the Bulgarian partner in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to provide information about the so-called Panama Papers. The papers are 11.5 million files leaked from the database of the world's fourth biggest offshore law firm, Panama's Mossack Fonseca, which implicate global leaders, companies and celebrities in concealing income by using offshore tax havens.

NRA Executive Director Boiko Atanassov wrote in the letter: "It is in the best interests of the public to carefully analyze and examine any evidence of potential tax evasion by Bulgarian natural or juristic persons, and if there is any breach of legal requirements, to investigate it." Therefore, the NRA asks for information about any Bulgarian persons who may be linked to offshore bank accounts or operations. "The information will be used solely to enable the revenue administration to exercise its legal powers," Atanassov wrote.

The NRA offered to cooperate with the investigative journalists in handling large amounts of information. "In conclusion, I would like to point out that the availability of bank accounts or operations in offshore jurisdictions does not necessarily imply tax offences, but still, any indirect evidence of such activities should be carefully examined," Atanassov wrote.