CCR World Magazine

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - Passengers travelling through Kastrup airport with undeclared money can expect the taxman to be there waiting for them.

Since tax authority Skat introduced its ‘airport bailiff’ programme at Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport one year ago, the move has brought in some 3.8 million kroner in unpaid taxes, according to public broadcaster DR.

At the start of 2009, Skat began posting tax collectors at Kastrup’s security gates who would be on the lookout for passengers carrying undeclared cash or other taxable goods in or out of the country. For those caught in the process, the tax hammer falls while they are standing in queue, boarding card in hand.

‘This is money we would not have been able to otherwise tax,’ said Jorgen B. Madsen, Skat’s deputy director. ‘We investigate where the money came from, and certain violations could result in criminal convictions for money laundering or social fraud.’

In most cases, the money is smuggled out to support the person’s family abroad. In the various lower court cases over the undeclared sums, Skat has been allowed to confiscate between 50 and 75 percent of the total monies.

In one instance, 75 percent of 1.5 million kroner worth of cash in different currencies was taken from a man who was flying to Dubai. In another case, 50 percent of a passenger’s €116,000 was confiscated. The man was bound for Turkey with the cash stashed in his underpants.

A new weapon Skat will begin employing soon is money sniffing dogs, the first of which has almost finished its training. The dog will reportedly be able to distinguish the different smells unique to euros, kroner and dollars.

Skat warns that even in cases where money being transported has been reported for tax purposes, travellers must still report the actual transport of any sum over the allowable €10,000 limit.

Previously, such a transgression gave a only misdemeanour fine of a few thousand kroner. But now Skat is cracking down hard on the violation, especially when the punishment levels in other EU countries is significantly higher.