British taxpayers with a bank account in Liechtenstein whose details were sold to HMRC will not be protected from investigation because the data in question was stolen, lawyers said today.

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American tax authorities said Tuesday they had opened an investigation of over 100 U.S. citizens on bank accounts held in Liechtenstein.

FORBES: Tax Evaders, Beware The Liechten-sting

But its reputation is under pressure from a massive German-led tax investigation into 1, 400 people who kept their money in Liechtenstein bank LGT Group, usually in the form of foundations, to help them evade paying tax at home.

FORBES: Tax Evaders, Beware The Liechten-sting

At the time, few knew of a Bank of Spain investigation into secret accounts kept by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya in Jersey, Liechtenstein and Switzerland before it merged in 2000 with Argentaria, formerly state-owned.

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They are now insisting that they will only agree to the plan if the EU also forces other tax havens in Europe - like Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland - to also amend their bank secrecy laws.

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