Birkenfeld's disclosures also led to the first cracks in the legendarily secretive Swiss banking system, and ultimately the Swiss government changed its tax treaty with the United States. UBS turned over the names of more than 4,900 US taxpayers who held illegal offshore accounts. Investigations into those accounts are ongoing.

In an interview with CNBC conducted in federal prison in 2011, Birkenfeld emphasized the value he had as an insider: "I knew the other bankers. I knew the other banks. And I knew the headhunters," Birkenfeld said at the time. "So, I knew exactly who was doing this business."

Under the IRS whistleblower program which was revamped in 2006, informants are entitled to a percentage of the dollars recovered by the US government when fraud is exposed.

This decision is expected to send a message to other potential informants that there is money, potentially big money, in turning to the government.

瑞士银行前职员布拉德利•比肯菲尔德的律师本周二称，美国国税局将向他奖励1.04亿美元，以表彰其向美国政府举报逃税。

比肯菲尔德揭发的内幕信息详细指出了瑞银私密的私人财富管理部门的运作方式。出生于美国的比肯菲尔德在瑞银工作期间，曾通过隐匿海外财富的方式，帮助他的美国客户逃税。

据报道，在比肯菲尔德从事私人银行业务的职业生涯中，曾把钻石藏在牙膏管里带出美国国境。

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