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

[Nancy Ruggeri]

I am not a conspiracy theorist but its obvious what is happening!
THE ARGENTINE GOVERNMENTS IS ON
DRUGS or has a mental virus contaminating each and everyone of them!
HOW CAN ANYONE BE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STUPID AS TO PULL THIS SHIT!! A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WOULD DO BETTER COMING UP WITH REAL SOLUTIONS...I CAN NOT BELIEVE WHAT THESE TRADERS ARE DOING TO MY BELOVED ARGENTINA....OH THIS BABY IS GOING TO BLOW AND BLOW HARD SOON BECAUSE IT CANT KEEP THIS UP!!!! dont cry for me Argentina...I am ache for you!

 

[nikad]

Anyone know the status of the Paypal exit route?

Online payments in foreign currency and debit cards to be included within the 15% surcharge tomorrow.

 

[GuilleGee]

Hmm, except that PayPal shows up on my Credit Card account in pesos, not in foreign currency, unlike other online payments to retailors in the US. In a month we will know!

 

[nikad]

Hmm, except that PayPal shows up on my Credit Card account in pesos, not in foreign currency, unlike other online payments to retailors in the US. In a month we will know!

Does it show pesos on your statement? Are you using PP exchange rate or letting your cc issuer make the conversion? That should be the reason why.

 

[allcraz]

And there's only more fun to come...if you go over $300 in purchases on your Argentine credit cards while abroad, they're going to charge you the 50% import tax even if you manage to get through Customs hassle-free.
http://www.infobae.com/notas/668364-...-exterior.html

 

[earlyretirement]

Even besides the 15% tax...I'd think the biggest thing to worry about is getting yourself on some list by AFIP. Their main goal in this isn't just about losing the spread on the white/black exchange rate. It's to get people that spend a lot abroad on a list and to basically audit them to see if they have been declaring all of their income.

If there is one thing that probably most people can agree on, Porteños HATE paying income tax and probably 95% evade taxes. So I don't think the biggest worry is paying 15% taxes on purchases. They fearful thing that maybe some people don't realize is that you will get yourself on a list and AFIP most likely will start auditing you and your past.

My friend was buying a lot of things with his credit card to get airline miles from his card. He was buying things for other friends and having them pay him cash. He said he got audited and it was a nightmare.

So I think people that are going abroad and spending lots of money can probably be expected to get on some list and eventually get audited.

 

[qpaso]

I got an email at work saying the law came into effect today and credit cards will start applying the new tax from 1st October. I took this to mean that my card which closes tomorrow for the month will not be charged as the new period will start on the 6th august and quickly sent 300 dollars. Chances are I will still get screwed but maybe not.

I agree this is to try and cash in on the rich who have been bypassing the restrictions and even making money from it. They are not stopping the rich but taking a nice slice of the action. Those who don´t play fair will end up audited for sure

 

[AndrewWoodward]

And there's only more fun to come...if you go over $300 in purchases on your Argentine credit cards while abroad, they're going to charge you the 50% import tax even if you manage to get through Customs hassle-free.
http://www.infobae.com/notas/668364-...-exterior.html

Controles de Aduana

La AFIP utilizará las facturas de las tarjetas de crédito para controlar que los turistas hayan declarado en la Aduana todas sus operaciones cuando regresan al país. Se enviará a los viajeros argentinos una notificación para detallar sobre los productos adquiridos y no declarados en su tarjeta de crédito.

Sin pagar impuestos, cualquier turista argentino puede traer mercadería desde el exterior por hasta 300 dólares y desde los países del Mercosur por hasta 150 dólares. Si supera estos límites, el recargo será del 50% en pesos.

That's pretty scary. The 15% tax aside, this is quite the intrusion.

When I come back to the states, I often end up declaring nothing, because it's all minor stuff and I can't be bothered to remember what I've bought. I can't remember a single time where they even questioned me. To think that they'd go through my bank records to check is unbelievable.

Edit: forgot to post the link source. It's from La Nacion:

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1505030-...el-exterior-antes-durante-y-despues-del-viaje

 

[earlyretirement]

That's pretty scary. The 15% tax aside, this is quite the intrusion.

When I come back to the states, I often end up declaring nothing, because it's all minor stuff and I can't be bothered to remember what I've bought. I can't remember a single time where they even questioned me. To think that they'd go through my bank records to check is unbelievable.

Edit: forgot to post the link source. It's from La Nacion:

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1505030-...el-exterior-antes-durante-y-despues-del-viaje

But this is the point. CFK and her ilk are getting bolder and bolder and no one can really do anything about it. There is not really any true system of checks and balances there in Argentina with too much power with the Executive Branch..... so you will probably see more and more controls and restrictions.

As CFK sees she can get away with these things...you will see one worse than before.

 

[Crema Americana]

We're going to visit the States in a couple of months... this has put quite the wrench in our plans. What happens if you buy something for someone else abroad? Technically you wouldn't have to declare it because you're not bringing it into the country... how can they charge you a tax on something they're not sure you have? We're going at Christmas time and physical dollars aren't exactly easy to get, though I suppose it's better going to a cueva than having to pay 15% + 50% + ??% and an audit...

And as far as I know, credit card statements don't include "articulos", just the store you bought from and the total. Would they know the difference between a restaurant and a shoe store?

What angers me more than anything is that this targets the average Argentine that can scrape enough together to travel, not the rich elite that are above the law, including Cristina herself. I'm sick of the currency games.