Chapter 92: The Bank with the Most Comprehensive Services
During lunch, Lina and Tina were genuinely shocked by how much William ate. He polished off three large pieces of grilled salmon, two large pieces of bread, a vegetable and fruit salad, and a glass of juice before finally looking full.
Lina asked worriedly, "William, you're eating so much. Are you sure you're alright? Perhaps we should take you to the hospital for a check-up."
William wiped his mouth and said, "It's fine, Mom. I've been eating like this for the past few months. Look," he said, flexing his bicep, "my arms have muscles now. I'm much stronger than I used to be."
Lina looked at the muscles on William's arm and was taken aback. Although William had always been tall, he'd never had any muscle on him before. "He used to be so thin, like a bamboo pole. It was an ugly look. As long as there's no problem, I can rest assured."
Tina squeezed William's bicep, then poked at his chest, looking utterly infatuated.
"Tina, sit properly! Be a lady, or I'll send you straight home," Lina said angrily, looking at Tina's foolish expression.
"Okay, Aunt Lina, I know I was wrong. I promise to be a lady," Tina said, frightened by her tone, and immediately sat up straight in her seat.
William found the scene amusing and winked at Tina, which made her burst out laughing.
When Tina saw her mother staring at her again, she quickly composed herself and said with a wronged expression, "You can't blame me for that, Aunt Lina! Brother William made a face at me. He's so mean, teasing me and making me laugh so I look bad. Aunt Lina, you have to teach him a lesson for me. I was framed!"
"Then why don't you just stop looking at William?" Lina said, rolling her eyes at Tina.
"How could I do that? I love looking at Brother William. He's too handsome," Tina said plaintively to Lina.
"God, why do I have such a fool in my house? Are you finished eating? Get out of here after you're done. Go to the hall and wait for your guests," Lina said, seeing Tina's pout and deciding to drive William away instead. She had grown very fond of Tina, whose presence had kept her from being lonely these past few months. "I'm taking Tina to tidy up the garden this afternoon and then to the woods to see if there are any mushrooms. I don't have time to deal with you."
Seeing the fire directed at him, William had no choice but to put down his cutlery and wipe his mouth. "Alright, Mother, I'm full. I'll get back to business. Bowing out, Mother. Farewell, Tina."
Seeing that William was about to leave, Tina blew a secret kiss in his direction, her face blushing as she watched him go.
"Okay, he's gone, what are you still looking at? Are you done eating? When you're finished, you can come help me clean up," Lina said speechlessly. She really thought Tina was a lost cause, completely and hopelessly smitten with her son.
At 1:30 p.m., Barney Christmas reported that the guests had arrived. William stood at the castle gate to greet the dozen or so people who arrived precisely on time, shaking hands with each of them.
After Christmas and his security team used scanners on the guests and their bags, he nodded to William, indicating there were no problems. William then led everyone into a guest reception room on the first floor. The security detail remained stationed outside the door. After a servant served refreshments, William said, "First, please sign the confidentiality agreement."
William took the agreement from Anthony and read it over carefully. Once he was satisfied there were no issues, everyone signed their names. William then said, "Anthony, these are my earnings from the futures market and other revenue reports from this year. Take a look and help me formulate a reasonable tax plan."
Anthony took the report and began reviewing it with two middle-aged lawyers. Ten minutes later, when the three of them saw that William had earned $3.416 billion from the stock market, they all gasped in shock.
Anthony looked up, his voice filled with amazement. "Boss, this is truly astonishing."
After the three of them finished, they passed the report to the other lawyers. As each one finished reading, they looked up at William with expressions of disbelief.
After a few minutes of quiet, a lawyer named Langte, who was responsible for tax issues, spoke up. "Mr. Devonshire, I've just looked over your information. To be honest, your tax situation is very simple."
"I just calculated that nearly two-thirds of the profits were made through futures contracts related to the Japanese stock market. The money made in the United States is only $400 million, England is $300 million, several other countries add up to $700 million, and Japan is $2.016 billion."
"What's the issue with that?" William asked.
Lawyer Langte said, "Of course there's an issue, Mr. Devonshire. The accounts used for these trades are registered in your name in the British Virgin Islands. Legally speaking, the funds never actually entered those countries."
William stood up in surprise. "How is that possible?" Then, his expression turned ecstatic. "So you're saying I don't need to pay capital gains taxes in those other countries?"
Lawyer Langte smiled. "You don't need to be so surprised, Mr. Devonshire. Your best decision was choosing to entrust the Swiss National Bank to operate on your behalf. These other countries can only investigate the Swiss National Bank, and I'm confident they won't find anything."
Hearing this, William understood. "You mean, the $11.6 billion I used to short the stock market with the Swiss National Bank is considered the bank's money? I have no direct financial transactions with those countries. The money I earned is also considered the bank's winnings from a gamble, and I simply paid them a 3% transaction fee?"
"That's exactly right, Mr. Devonshire," Langte confirmed. "Otherwise, the Swiss National Bank wouldn't be known as the bank with the world's most secure accounts and the most thoughtful services. However, to avoid trouble, I suggest you pay the 20% capital gains tax on the $400 million earned in the US."
"After all, the American tax agency is extremely powerful. If you don't pay this money, they will definitely keep an eye on you. You don't need to worry about the taxes from the other countries. We can direct any inquiries regarding those tax issues to the Swiss National Bank," Langte said with a smile.
William laughed out loud. The Swiss National Bank was indeed the best bank in the world, truly looking out for its customers' interests. He had originally thought he would have to pay $680 million in taxes to the Americans and had been heartbroken about it for days. Now, he only had to pay $80 million. William was so happy he felt like he was about to burst.
Compared to $680 million, $80 million was practically nothing. After reveling in his excitement for a moment, William calmed down and asked, "Why does the Swiss National Bank do this? Since all the funds flow through their bank, don't they have to pay taxes in these countries?"
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