Comments on: Costa Rica ratifies agreement to automatically share your financial information

By: mhogan

mhogan — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 08:05:00 +0000

Costa Rica is mired in social programs, many of which go unnoticed by the public. How many people know that “low” consumers of electricity pay NO sales tax on their consumption or that the rate is VERY progressive for everyone else. People who receive salary off the books pay no income tax but are often subsidized. How about the “gringo” tax where locals engage in 3-tier pricing (tourist rate/gringo rate/Tico rate) — a private social program enjoyed by Ticos. When you have a bureaucracy that is wheels within wheels, tax money gets shifted around for many social programs — of course, after the bureaucratic elites take theirs off the top. Forget that a government job is a “social” program as is. Any time one member of society receives while taken from another is a socialist concept.

By: Ken Morris

Ken Morris — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 03:50:00 +0000

Richard has it right. This was foisted upon CR by the US, where nobody has a vote either.

By: richard schlinder

richard schlinder — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 22:34:00 +0000

Thank you for the reply Ginette.I follow international economies
very closely.Let me tell you a little history. About six years ago,the federal government was looking into Bitcoins.They were not happy about this product. They put five government agencies on investigating Bitcoins.A total of 2000 D.C. lawyers worked on the project.Two questions:1.does the U.S. have any laws to prohibit Americans from buying Bitcoins and 2.can we come up with a law that will prohibit them from buying them?The answer was no and no.But one guy in the crowd said,why don’t we go digital with U.S.currency?This was a nutty idea but after thinking about it,more people starting formulating a plan to do just that.They found that they were already set up to a great extent already. Wire transfers,automatic deposits from payroll checks to social security and much more. The credit card system has long been in use and people are used to them.To buy things we just swipe our card or our phone and bam,we just paid for that bouquet of flowers. They called in the bankers to see how this program could be applied and as you know by now,they said it would be no problem at all.

Bottom line!There will be no more cash. When you buy tortillas shells at your local Pulperia,you will have to swipe your card,no more cash.Money will be deposited in your account the same way,digital to digital.The Gov. will know every dollar you spend and every dollar earned.Please read anything on U.S.digital currency.Or federal government digital currency.
Oh yea. They won’t have to bother with that pesky “In God WE Trust” crap any more. No one knows when this will start so just keep watching. Thanks again.

By: Ginette Girard

Ginette Girard — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 21:47:00 +0000

You are one person who gets it

By: Mike Shannon

Mike Shannon — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 20:18:00 +0000

Costa Rica is a democracy, with ‘some’ social programs, just like every other civilized democracy.

By: richard schlinder

richard schlinder — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:15:00 +0000

Costa Rica was blackmailed into this thanks to the U.S. and the long arm of the I.R.S. There is a bigger threat of your account being hacked by the U.S. then any other country..No Ben,This is for ExPats.U.S. wants to know every dollar you earn and how much you spend.
This is not the end of it. There is a much larger event coming down the road.Read everything you can find on U.S. Digital Currency.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:52:00 +0000

There should be a vote on this type of issue. I guess that means that people will start to put lots of cash under there beds or in a safe. Nobody trust goverment. The goverment is now making rules that are against the people. Does that mean Farmers will have to give bills at the markets.

By: Yeims

Yeims — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:57:00 +0000

“The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” Margaret Thatcher