“King of antiques” owes 3.5 million francs in taxes
Published: Monday, Aug 19th 2024, 12:10
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The Federal Supreme Court has rejected the appeals of art dealer Ali Aboutaam and his company Phoenix against assessment decisions following the import of antique works of art. The so-called "king of antiques" must pay around CHF 3.5 million in VAT, not including interest.
In four rulings on Monday, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the assessments issued by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) and largely approved by the Federal Administrative Court. In addition to the VAT owed, interest on arrears of over 900,000 Swiss francs was added.
The case came to light in December 2016 after a vehicle belonging to Phoenix was inspected: Border officials came across an antique oil lamp of "authentic museum quality". Ali Aboutaam's house in Geneva and his company were searched on suspicion of illegal imports of antique art objects.
The investigations revealed that the dealer in Lebanese art had abused the so-called relocation procedure. This allows goods intended for resale abroad to be exempted from import tax. In fact, the dealer kept some pieces for his private use.
Ali Aboutaam was sentenced to 18 months' conditional imprisonment in criminal proceedings in January 2023. Several dozen coins were handed over to the Swiss Confederation as part of these proceedings. In May 2024, Switzerland returned three artifacts to Iraq. (Judgments 9C_107, 184, 187 and 203/2023 of 18.7.2024)
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