Arnold Schwarzenegger detained over EU tax for luxury watch
Arnold Schwarzenegger detained over EU tax for luxury watch
The probe for alleged tax evasion came as the actor arrived in Munich on his way to an auction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The actor's spokesman told German tabloid Bild that the airport incident was "a total comedy full of errors, but which would make a very funny police film".
Bild said he "took the incident calmly" and an image it published showed a smiling Schwarzenegger posing for a photo and holding a box for the watch with a note saying "For Austria".
According to local media, the watch was custom-made for the Terminator star by luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which makes timepieces that can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The watch was said to be up for auction at a fundraising dinner for The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative in Kitzbuhel, Austria, about 89 km (55 miles) from Munich, later on Thursday.
A press release for the event, due to take place at the five-star Stanglwirt hotel, said "artworks, signed exhibits, and experiences from the worlds of sports and film" will be up for sale.
An auction listing for the watch, obtained by Bild, said it was one of only 20 in existence, and would include "an image of Arnold in his iconic pose with the words 'Arnold Classic'".
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I don't know if it's a good idea to detain the Terminator. I'm not even sure you can!