Judge allows IRS to seek Swiss data

MIAMI, July 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. judge in Miami Tuesday allowed the Internal Revenue Service to seek a Swiss bank's list of accounts to hunt for U.S. citizens who may be dodging taxes.

U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard issued an order authorizing the IRS to serve what is called a John Doe summons on UBS AG, a bank based in Zurich, Switzerland, the U.S. Justice Department said. The order directs the bank to produce records identifying U.S. taxpayers who have accounts with UBS in Switzerland who elected to have their accounts hidden from the U.S. tax collection agency.

The IRS, with the Justice Department's help, is seeking the account information because a former UBS employee, Bradley Birkenfeld, claims the Swiss bank is holding about $20 billion in "undeclared" assets for U.S. taxpayers.