<p>They revealed they had not paid taxes on 1.66 billion Canadian dollars (USD 1.58 billion) of assets, National Revenue Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn's told the daily National Post.<br /><br />In September, Canadian tax officials met with UBS bank officials in a much-publicised bid to uncover Canadian fortunes hidden in offshore accounts, on the heels of a landmark deal settling a bruising US lawsuit against the Swiss bank seeking account information in the hunt for tax evaders.<br /><br />If UBS did not cooperate, Blackburn told AFP prior to the meetings, "we'll go to court to get the information." Talks are "still ongoing" his spokeswoman said yesterday.<br /><br />Blackburn told the National Post that 6,798 Canadians have since then come forward to say they owed taxes -- 50 per cent more than in all of 2008.<br /><br />"People realised that it's a question of time before we get them," he said. "I tell them, we'll get you, we'll find you."<br /><br />In Canada, people can avoid prosecution for tax evasion if they voluntarily disclose to the government that they owe back taxes and pay interest on late payments.</p>
<p>They revealed they had not paid taxes on 1.66 billion Canadian dollars (USD 1.58 billion) of assets, National Revenue Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn's told the daily National Post.<br /><br />In September, Canadian tax officials met with UBS bank officials in a much-publicised bid to uncover Canadian fortunes hidden in offshore accounts, on the heels of a landmark deal settling a bruising US lawsuit against the Swiss bank seeking account information in the hunt for tax evaders.<br /><br />If UBS did not cooperate, Blackburn told AFP prior to the meetings, "we'll go to court to get the information." Talks are "still ongoing" his spokeswoman said yesterday.<br /><br />Blackburn told the National Post that 6,798 Canadians have since then come forward to say they owed taxes -- 50 per cent more than in all of 2008.<br /><br />"People realised that it's a question of time before we get them," he said. "I tell them, we'll get you, we'll find you."<br /><br />In Canada, people can avoid prosecution for tax evasion if they voluntarily disclose to the government that they owe back taxes and pay interest on late payments.</p>