this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2024
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Arnold Schwarzenegger detained over EU tax for luxury watch (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 8 months ago by misk@sopuli.xyz to c/europe@feddit.de
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[–] Hillock@feddit.de 50 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

The reason why it took so long: The card machine to pay the tax was broken. Banks were closed, ATM limits too low, so he had to wait for a replacement card reader to arrive.

It's unclear if he actually failed to declare it or if there was some other kind of mistake. It's also unclear if he had to pay a penalty or just the tax.

However, a source told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that Schwarzenegger was not asked to fill out a declaration form.

So yeah, the headline and article are making a big thing out of no information.

[–] Blackout@kbin.social 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

There's more info than that. They actually drove him to the bank like gangsters, waiting for him to withdraw the money. They seemed reluctant to get another credit card machine and wasted a bunch of time trying to get cash. Oh and that watch was his personal property he was auctioning off for charity so it's not like he was trying to sell it to buy some supplements. The Germans really came off as buffoons with this one. It's not like he wasn't good for it or couldn't be trusted.

[–] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 8 months ago

The auction is the issue. If it was for personal use and if it would go back with him, it would be fine, but since it's going to change owners in Europe it needs to pay custom fees. That aside, the German police is a caricature of itself.

[–] albert180@feddit.de 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

No they didn't

The main customs office in Munich now contradicts this account. As a spokesperson told SPIEGEL, the officials allegedly only tried for 15 minutes to debit the outstanding tax payment from Schwarzenegger's credit card using a payment device. The transaction then worked with a replacement device. A further payment - a security deposit that the actor had to pay as part of criminal tax proceedings that have now been initiated - could not be paid with the same credit card due to internal security guidelines. Schwarzenegger then went to an ATM - unaccompanied by the authorities. "We were deliberately absent because we didn't want to cause a stir and sent him into the public area without customs officials," said the spokesperson. However, the actor returned without any cash. A "different solution" was then found for the outstanding payment of the security deposit.

https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/arnold-schwarzenegger-zoll-widerspricht-medienberichten-zu-vorfall-mit-luxusuhr-a-7d98cd62-5166-4b5d-a81f-fe932c5bb7cc

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 3 points 8 months ago

A “different solution” was then found for the outstanding payment of the security deposit.

He slept with the cops?

[–] Gilles_D@feddit.de 6 points 8 months ago

The actual reason for why it took so long: his accountant didn’t do their job and it was careless and naïve to do what he planned to do without due diligence.

[–] albert180@feddit.de 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The German Custom Office has shared their versions of the event. https://feddit.de/comment/6533233