London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Bermuda's Butterfield Bank Admits It Helped Americans Evade U.S. Taxes

Bermuda's Butterfield Bank Admits It Helped Americans Evade U.S. Taxes

The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son, based in Bermuda, has agreed to pay $5.6 million to resolve a criminal probe by U.S. authorities after admitting it helped hundreds of American clients evade taxes for more than a decade.

Between 2001 and 2013, Butterfield helped clients hide assets from the Internal Revenue Service, letting them use sham entities to funnel money between U.S. and Cayman Islands accounts, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Butterfield knew or should have known that such U.S. taxpayer clients were using their Butterfield accounts to evade their U.S. tax obligations,” according to the non-prosecution agreement signed by the Hamilton, Bermuda-base bank. Butterfield can avoid criminal prosecution by cooperating with investigators for three years and not violating other terms of the agreement.

The bank had as many as 300 U.S. accounts hidden from the IRS at any time, and it helped hide $61 million in assets, according to the statement. Prosecutors cited the “extraordinary cooperation” by Butterfield, which will forfeit $4.9 million and pay $704,000 in restitution. It also gave unredacted files on 386 non-compliant clients to government investigators.

2013 Investigation


Butterfield Chief Executive Officer Mark Collins said the agreement resolves an investigation that the bank reported in 2013.

“Since that time, we have enhanced our compliance controls for business with U.S. clients and the total payment has been provisioned,” Collins said in a statement. “Moving forward we remain focused on delivering for our clients and our stakeholders.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×