Breast implants catch eye of tax agents

[thundley4]

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Breast implants, a luxury cruise ship and bank robbery victims have become the latest targets of Argentine tax inspectors battling rampant evasion in the South American country.

Argentines are notorious for evading taxes, and it is common to pay for everything from new cars and houses to breast enlargements with wads of cash, while savers stash their money in off-shore bank accounts or undeclared in safety deposit boxes.

Tax inspectors, who have previously targeted modeling agencies and soccer players, have turned their attention to the booming trade in breast augmentation -- counting the number of imported breast implants to calculate surgeons' earnings.

"According to a preliminary assessment, the companies and self-employed people working in the business are suspected of evading 40 million pesos ($10 million) in income tax," the AFIP tax agency said in a statement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110112/od_nm/us_argentina_tax

[DLR Pyro]