Tax snitch plan triggers flood of hate for German minister

BERLIN (AP) — A German regional official’s plan to let authorities receive anonymous online tip-offs about potential tax evaders has prompted a flood of hate mail. Some critics accuse Danyal Bayaz of reviving habits from Germany’s totalitarian past. The finance minister in southwestern Baden-Wuerttemberg state on Thursday retweeted some of the messages sent to him on social media that included racist references to his Turkish family roots. Bayaz announced this week that a new online portal will allow people to send anonymous tips to state tax inspectors. Although such tips could already be submitted by email, regular mail and phone, the latest move sparked outrage from political opponents and some media outlets in Germany, where tax evasion is considered a widely practiced “national sport.”