Google Earth’s New Use: Preventing Taxpayer Fraud

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Authorities in Buenos Aires are using Google Earth in an unexpected way: checking on properties to be sure their owners didn’t expand them in ways that should result in a real estate tax increase … but only if they reported it, of course.

According to Buenos Aires province tax official Santiago Montoya, images of properties from the sky can help square the actual size of properties with that declared by taxpayers to make sure the proper amount of taxes is being paid, the reports said. Source: Raw Story

We Say: Apparently there’s widespread tax fraud in Argentina (no! ) and they’re pulling out all the tricks they can think of to stop it …