this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Meanwhile in Germany: https://paymentandbanking.com/en/tag/bonpflicht-en/

Since January 1, 2020, the receipt requirement has been in force in Germany, and retailers and restaurateurs must issue a receipt for every transaction.

[–] [email protected] 71 points 1 year ago

Well, it's not mandatory to print a receipt in Germany. Only the purchase itself needs to be recorded and the receipt can be issued in a digital form as well. It's up to the retailers how they want to implement this.

Let's take the two local bakeries in my neighborhood as an example. One still issues paper receipts and complains since three years about this law with witty share pics that he has to raise prices because of all the paper he needs to buy and that the government does not trust family businesses. And the other one simply provides a QR code on the cash registry's screen which I can scan within 60 seconds to download the receipt (if I want to) or he prints one if asked to do so.

In fact, I do not see big differences to the situation in France.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (4 children)

That works to combat tax fraud though. Cash payment is incredibly popular in Germany, partly because many stores or restaurants outright refuse card payments to avoid paying taxes.

[–] Pinedhuitre 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wait… are you saying some Germans doesn’t respect the law? Is it possible for a German?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dont you worry, we are sure to blame the foreigners for it

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How can the foreigners break the law? They are already busy stealing our jobs while also being too lazy to actually work! /s

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Avoiding taxes can be a very well paying job

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

That works to combat tax fraud though

If there only was a way to do something like this electronically...

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's no obligation to provide a paper "Bon," stores can just offer digital receipts by default.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The bakeries I go to usually do this (even though bakeries where crying the loudest back then). Other stores don't for some reason.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If there only was a way to do something like this electronically…

There is, the receipts don't have to be paper-based, they can be an email - REWE does that for example, if you have a loyalty card.

What they didn't manage to do is find a way to do it electronically without some sort of profile/registration.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The person talking about a QR code based system in another comment in this thread would suggest otherwise.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How is that supposed to combat tax fraud? Nobody keeps their receipts, and in the end if im not offered one when i dont want one, im not gonna ask for it

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

The receipt is printed by a certified cash register. It even has a digital signature at the bottom.

Sure, the receipt will be thrown away, but the register keeps a record. So store owners can check in their employees and tax authorities can check on the owners.

The receipt is irrelevant except for ensuring that the purchase is in record.

It's much harder to run a tax-free cash-only side business if everyone expects a receipt and the receipt printer has an audit trail.