Greeks seek help tackling tax evasion

athens, greece» Greece has turned to German officials to seek help in combating tax evasion.

Greek tax officials, initially numbering about 50, will be trained by the tax authorities of North Rhine-Westphalia, a state noted for its success in persuading German citizens to repatriate capital they had whisked abroad to avoid taxation. Their efforts have resulted in $1.09 billion in extra revenue since 2010.

If Greek authorities request it, German tax inspectors will visit Greece to investigate cases, North Rhine-Westphalia’s finance minister, Norbert WalterBorjans, said Saturday in Athens. He met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and signed an agreement for the exchange of data and know-how.

In November, WalterBorjans handed Greek authorities a list of about 10,400 Greek citizens who had Swiss bank accounts.