Back from Europe
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:18 pm
Noticed the MR discussion is still going on 
Amazing. Anyway a couple of points to report relevant to this forum. Italy: all cash transactions above 1000 Euros are prohibited. Financial Police (yes, it's a police force) have access to ALL credit card transactions and are filtering the large ones and comparing them to income tax returns. Big problem for most Italian men who keep a mistress on the side. High end retail shops hurting very badly because of this law.
Financial Police are cruising expensive restaurant parking lots. When they spot a late model Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari whatever they enter the restaurant and haul the car owner out. Then they run his registration against his income tax return to see if he can "afford" such a car. If they deem he can't they seize the vehicle. Taxi business is booming! All, I repeat, all my business friends and acquaintances are fleeing to other EU countries. I was also in France and England but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary except general malaise like here.
Amazing. Anyway a couple of points to report relevant to this forum. Italy: all cash transactions above 1000 Euros are prohibited. Financial Police (yes, it's a police force) have access to ALL credit card transactions and are filtering the large ones and comparing them to income tax returns. Big problem for most Italian men who keep a mistress on the side. High end retail shops hurting very badly because of this law.Financial Police are cruising expensive restaurant parking lots. When they spot a late model Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari whatever they enter the restaurant and haul the car owner out. Then they run his registration against his income tax return to see if he can "afford" such a car. If they deem he can't they seize the vehicle. Taxi business is booming! All, I repeat, all my business friends and acquaintances are fleeing to other EU countries. I was also in France and England but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary except general malaise like here.