Sark part of Bailiwick, says EU in reason for blacklisting
GUERNSEY is listed with Sark for 'administrative purposes', the EU has said after blacklisting the island as an 'uncooperative jurisdiction'.
The list, published yesterday, consolidates EU national tax 'blacklists' and includes any jurisdiction on 10 or more member states' lists.
While Guernsey is listed by only nine countries, it has been included because Sark – for which it has no legal responsibility in tax matters – is on Poland's list.
Poland removed Guernsey in April 2013.
But the commission confirmed to the Guernsey Press yesterday that it considered this to be a tenth listing as the Channel Islands were grouped as two Bailiwicks for administrative purposes, the Bailiwick of Guernsey including the island of Sark.
European Commission spokesperson for taxation and Customs,Vanessa Mock, said it was not the commission that decided which jurisdictions went on the list, but a compilation of jurisdictions that featured on at least 10 EU countries' blacklists.
Former chief minister Deputy Lyndon Trott said the action taken by the EU Commission made it look 'incompetent at best and malevolent at worst'.
'If such behaviour wasn't so serious it would be laughable,' he said.
