How to Kick-Start the Economy
The Portuguese government has come up with another great idea to get
Portugal back in the black. The idea is very simple and unbelievably
stupid, as usual. It goes like this.
You are a small trader, therefore you are cheating on your tax returns,
so we will do something about it. You will henceforth have to buy a
special electronic till, and issue tax receipts with your fiscal number
on it, and the fiscal number of the client as well. Never mind that in
a tourist area like the Algarve rather a lot of folk will be visitors
who wont have a fiscal number.
The alternative is to buy a book of receipt vouchers which costs €50
for fifty vouchers. If you sell a packet of sweets for a euro, then you
will have to give out one of these receipts. That means, if the sweets
cost you 80 cents, your cost on the transaction will be 1.80, and you
will get 1.00 from your customer.
Small traders would go bust and have to join the dole queue. Great idea
to get Portugal moving.
Already small businesses are closing down. Shouldn't the government be
encouraging small businesses to start up, not close down?
Welcome to Portugal, where, if you are in business, you are regarded as
a dangerous crook to be fined.
Foreign investment is certainly not going to be atttracted to a
business environment like this. I guess it just has to get worse. Thank
god 99% of my customers dont live in Portugal.
john