I particularly enjoy how many expats here try to school you on how things work, allow me to explain to you how things really work around here, all those taxes you paid, most likely were invented on the spot even when they gave you a receipt, property transactions, im fully aware that you can get out of paying a bunch of taxes if you take the time to inform yourself instead of forking out cash, i have seen time and time again foreigners being taken by gov' officials overcharging them or making up fees that don't exists, and it is understandable when you don't have full comprehension of the language and the culture , you just pay and things seems to run smoothly.
So if paying out without having a clear picture of what you are paying for is working out for you, by all means keep doing it but don't tell me everything is crystal clear when it comes to dealing with authorities here nor they have the inclination to explain it to you.
Just one example , did you know that having your property taxes up to date is more expensive than getting behind and wait for a moratoria and end up paying half of what you owe?, i could give you many examples like that and much worse, which makes you question yourself why you need to be up to date when there's no consequences if you are not?.15 years for some of us in this country seems like yesterday, you came during la decada ganada , no offence but if you ever come to find out how much advantage you were taken of, you'll change your point of view.
Also i wouldn't make a habit to fight off motochorros if they are not attacking you personally, the way laws are written here, you'll be more liable to go to jail than the motochorros if you hurt one of them.
Color me dubious.
First, the taxes I pay are based on the same property tax bills mailed to every property owner. The computer that prints them doesnt know I am not a citizen. Second, I have paid at least some of them in person at Afip. No fees were "made up". If you go to Afip, you can plug in your parcel number, at an ATM like machine, and it will print a bill, and it, again, doesnt see what you look like, or how well you speak spanish.
Second, I believe, as a property owner, in paying my taxes, which I do both here and in the USA.
The idea that there is some sneaky way to cheat and pay less doesnt fit in with my ethical and moral stance.
Sounds kinda teenage libertarian, to me.
No consequences is great, I guess, but as an adult and a member of a community, I kinda believe in garbage collection, city government, and a working infrastructure.
As far as the motochorro thing goes, it was 100% automatic reaction.
By the time the three of us had convinced the Chorro it wasnt worth the effort, and he hopped back on his accomplices scooter, maybe 1 minute had passed. Took me a couple more minutes to even realize what I had done.
When someone is getting beaten on the ground, and is bleeding (the german tourist) the last thing I was thinking of was the minutae of Argentine law.
Just like paying taxes, it was the right thing to do at the time.
