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Help Wanted In Switzerland: Hunting Tax Cheats

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And while we're on the subject of tax evasion, our last word in business today is: Help wanted.

Switzerland is looking for more staff to handle a flood of new requests from other countries that are looking for tax cheats.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Switzerland is almost synonymous with secretive banking. But over the last several years, many countries - including the United States - have pressured the Swiss to give more information on suspected tax evaders. Swiss officials have agreed to beef up tax treaties so they can reveal more.

MONTAGNE: Last year the number of inquiries from overseas tax authorities almost doubled, to more than 700. So now Swiss officials have decided to go ahead and increase the number of people handling all those requests to 14.

And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.