Vaud parliament to examine civil lawsuit in tax affair

The Vaud cantonal parliament is taking an unprecedented step to investigate a tax scandal that saw wealthy individuals receive improper tax breaks for over a decade. Lawmakers approved a motion to form a special commission that will explore civil action against former or current government officials to recover damages.

The scandal centers on the unlawful application of tax rebates for the rich, with the Vaud tax administration granting these benefits to far more people than were eligible between 2009 and 2021. The tax directorate recently revealed this could have led to a hypothetical loss of over 200 million Swiss francs for the state treasury. Pascal Broulis, now a national councilor for the FDP, served as the cantonal finance director during much of this period.

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nothing to undertake given the current budget situation is inappropriate and incomprehensible for the population, who have never benefited from tax relief.

While the tax administration identified calculation errors in 2011 and again in 2015, Broulis claims he was only informed in 2019. However, a newspaper investigation suggests he may have been notified as early as 2015. The motion's proponent, Ariane Morin of the Green Party, argued that inaction is unacceptable given the current budget situation and incomprehensible to citizens who have never received tax relief.

The commission's work will proceed "without hate, without fear, and without prejudice," Morin stated. The motion passed with 74 votes in favor, 39 against, and 29 abstentions. This move is significant as the relevant law from 1961 regarding state and employee liability has never been invoked before.

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The commission's work should proceed without hate, without fear, and without prejudice.