reginos:
RC:
In Germany for example, if someone is paying with 500 EUR banknotes, it can trigger a money laundering alert. Also if Germans customs "catches" you with more than one 500 EUR banknote in your pocket at the border, be sure they will search you (and your car) there thoroughly.
i thought someone is allowed to carry cash up to 15.000 EUR across borders in the EU. But I may be wrong.
The limit is, as far as I remember, 10000 EUR but from what I heard from people working at customs, even amounts over 5000 EUR are usually "reported" to the tax office, most travelers may not be aware of that. Many travelers also don't seem to be aware of the fact that German customs has much more rights than even the police. They don't need any particular reason to search you or your car, they can do it whenever they want and how they want it. Customs is kind of a "everything is allowed" agency over here, at least at borders (airports, ports) and around 30 or 50 km (not sure) around ground borders.
I once had an issue with my local bank, the bank I do my business transactions and everything else with. I paid a bill of 2600 EUR for a piano for my kids, a gift from their grandparents, in cash at the bank counter. The reason was simple: Since both grandparent pairs paid for the piano, both gave half and to make it simple, in cash. When I paid the bill at the bank counter, the woman there, I know her for over 20 years now and she knows our business very well, told me, that she has to make a money laundering report for cash sums paid over 2000 EUR. I felt kind of stupid and even embarrassed. After that, I called the general manager of the business division of my local bank and told her about this. She apologized but apparently the woman at the bank counter is obliged to report cash payments over 2000 EUR. This was three years ago, I don't even know if things didn't even get worse now.
This is another reason I hate paying cash over here but the most important reason is: My money is at the bank, so I would have to go to the bank first and get the money, which is kind of time consuming. ATMs are paying out a maximum of 1000 EUR per day.
I actually order a lot from Amazon, even minor stuff because it saves me time and time is money.
In Italy, I saw tax fraud with my own eyes since I didn't get a receipt (it is mandatory by the law in Italy to give customers a receipt, it is a serious offense not to provide a receipt). I'm not a snitch, never was and never will be but to be honest, this just isn't right. We pay our taxes here in a very honest way (most of us anyway) and many other people do the same in Italy too. Tax fraud is a serious issue now, especially since countries like Greece or even Italy and Spain to some point, are at the brink collapsing economically. I hate paying taxes, why should I lie but I do it because I also think of the future of my country. Those who commit tax fraud are not only criminals but also very bad citizens. You can't live in a country and benefit from everything and expect the government to take care of everything but not pay your share of the bill. This can't work and it will create only more problems.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, BMW X5M, Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe PP/DP, Mini Cooper S Countryman All4