Citigroup could face tax avoidance fine

Citigroup could be fined $600,000 (£379,000) for derivative transactions designed to help foreigners avoid taxes on dividends.

The regulatory body which oversees broker dealers, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is expected to announce whether or not it will fine the bank over "swap" transactions.

The transactions help Citi's foreign clients receive the full value of dividends without paying derivative taxes, which is alleged to help clients avoid billions of dollars in US taxes, the Financial Times reported.

The move follows on from a recent revamp by the US authorities to take a tougher stance on offshore tax operations.

The bank paid $24m to American tax authorities in 2006 in relation to dividend taxes for swap transactions.

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