15% surcharge on foreign transactions on Argentine credit cards starting Sep 1

[solerboy]

I think Argentine people take these kind of things in their stride. People will have to pay a little more for their blue dollars. But paying 35% more for your dollars is still better than paying 35% income tax on all of your earnings.

 

[sinagua980]

If someone here used their Argie CC to buy an airline ticket online, from BA, United, etc...would that also be subject to the surcharge?

That's what I've read, yes. If the card is processed from outside Argentina, no matter if the process was done in person or online, then the 15% is applied.

And citygirl is right, I believe. It's only the middle class getting screwed here. And they're many of the people who have to put up with the failing infrastructure in the city. Maybe, just maybe, some could be won over if investments were made to upgrade the basic infrastructure. Qué sé yo?

 

[jjsto]

I have no link for this, but my understanding is that flights and hotels are not subject to the 15% tax. And yeah, it is really baffling how among most of my Argentinian friends I am the only one actually really angry about all this craziness. And, I dont even have a local credit card.

 

[dennisr]

Probably the next shoe to drop will be a cap on foreign purchases with AR Credit cards: Venezuelan model. *Even with the 15% surcharge it is still a bargain for some that have dollars and an AR credit card. Exchange in the black and pay with a credit card at the official rate +15%.*Only STUFF brought into Argentina over $300.00 is subjected to the*50% tariff. Airline tickets, cruises, hotels, food and other SERVICES are not subject to the tariff.

 

[earlyretirement]

Rich Argentines don't care. They have their savings in dollars and foreign accounts and credit cards to use when they're shopping overseas. Poor Argentines don't care - they're never going to be traveling overseas anyway.

Who gets screwed - the middle class of course.

I'm so incredibly baffled by how blase people here are about this stuff. I am more angry than anyone I talk to and it doesn't really even affect me.

That's EXACTLY correct. The middle class is who is taking the brunt of this. All the wealthy locals have accounts overseas already.

 

[Rich One]

According to the AFIP about 170,000 CC holders are affected by these measures!
This number of votes will not tilt the balance one way or the other?

 

[nicoenarg]

Here's a related article on HuffPo. Well its about the general mood of things here but thought I'd just link to it on this thread:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120904/lt-trapped-in-argentina/