I like to hate on the rich as much as anyone but this feels like it was a simple misunderstanding. It’s not like he’s going to intentionally try to dodge paying taxes (peanuts for him) on a watch he was gifted and planned to sell at a charity auction.
I agree with you and I think he was more baffled about trying to pay than the tax itself. Which it is a very real problem in Germany for foreigners. Everything is too local if you don’t have EC Karte you cannot pay. But that the baffling part, if you are a Customs office you need to accept ANY kind of payment, specifically something as standard as a Credit Card.
What a waste of time. Imagine it’s your job to write articles off this trifling bullshit.
Why is this still in the news cycle? How is this news?
him agreeing to an interview with Bild is very telling.
It’s the most popular and most hated newspaper in Germany. I would put it at a similar level as Rupert Murdoch’s shit rags.
They usually have dubious journalistic standards, write exaggerated headlines and harass their targets. They also constantly badmouth progressive or environmental causes because their shitty publisher, Axel Springer Verlag, has a very imperialist neoliberal agenda that they enforce in all their publications. I blame them in part for the popularity of AfD, even though they don’t directly endorse them (as far as I know).
Rich and famous people always act shocked when the rules apply to them as well…
I disagree in this case, he tried to pay and he had to hunt down 2 different ATMs because the Customs office couldn’t accept his credit card.
But he was detained and fined due to not declaring the watch. Likely he hadn’t opened his credit card to that kind of spend on another continent, or he had an Amex which tends to work poorly in many different places in Europe. I’m also sure he could’ve gotten an invoice as well but likely just wanted it sorted out directly.
Likely he hadn’t opened his credit card to that kind of spend on another continent, or he had an Amex which tends to work poorly in many different places in Europe.
You’re wrong. The card reader was not working, the ATM had too low of a limit and the bank was closed. When they brought in a new card reader he was able to pay.
I’m also sure he could’ve gotten an invoice as well but likely just wanted it sorted out directly.
If you can’t pay the tax directly you have 10 days to make payment but the item is held until that payment is made. Since it was bound for an auction that wouldn’t work in this case. Not to mention payment was attempted and the issue was on the side of the customs office.
