I love the way the threads on this site can assume a life all their
own, straying from the original topic, but often leading to interesting
and useful information. . My purpose here is not to "bash" Argentines,
but newcomers need to know what they are likely to encounter here. It
is a fact that Argentina is considered one of the most fraudulent
countries in the world, and perhaps the leader in the western
hemisphere. I lived in Mexico for five and a half years before moving
to Buenos Aires in 2006. I still consider that move a significant
upgrade.
The strongest point my Argentine girlfriend made when we first
began dating was the caveat "everyone lies". In the two years I've
lived in Buenos Aires I have found that to be true. Even the "most
honest" Argentine I know is constantly warning me to beware of
everyone I do business with. The number one crime in Argentine is
probably tax evasion (black money is everywhere). The number two is
fraud. Both acts are dishonest. Often they go hand in hand.
When the aforementioned lass bought an apartment the real estate agent
did not reveal a number of deficiencies in the apartment. Did she (the
agent) know? Well, at the signing of the papers it was revealed that
she was also the owner!When I started looking for an apartment
to buy I was surprised to discover that virtually every seller wanted
to list the official sale price of the property as much as 30% below
what would be paid, just to avoid the 1.5 percent stamp tax on the
amount not declared. This crime would have to be supported by the
escribano who is supposedly a party to the transaction to make sure
everything is legal. As a foreigner, knowing I was paying more than a
native would, I simply insisted that the full price be declared. They
thought I was an idiot, but my insistence on declaring the full price
was based on what I had learned about the consequences of not fully
complying with the laws regarding transferring money into the country
(something I learned from another expat).
When I started buying furniture for the apartment I was amazed how
often (in the smaller shops) I was asked if I was paying in cash and
would receive a 10% discount if I bought "sin factura" (which is a
crime). The IVA is 21%, so had I accepted the cash discount, the
sellers would have received the full retail price for the item and also
pocketed 11% which was tax due to the government.
Perhaps its only fair that if the consumer gets a discount for tax
evasion that the seller also profits in a similar fashion. Its just
not a game I am willing to play.
While I have found mendacity to be rampant, I would never equate it
with promiscuity, something I have not.yet had the good fortune to
experience in Argentina (unless you consider sex on the second date promiscous).