a short glimpse of Europe’s most expensive city
July 16, 2005
Since I was busy working, I didn’t get much time to check out Luxembourg, but someone else did!
but I did get a whirlwind tour of Europe’s most expensive city (we had an hour to spare to before the train ride out of the city).
It’s an intriguing place. Want to set up servers that cater to the European market? The locals suggest the we use Luxembourg. Why? Because they have the lowest VAT in Europe. (Unlike the US, Europe requires that online sales in Europe be assessed VAT, regardless of where the merchant is located.) This is why Microsoft and Skype host in Luxembourg.
Want a numbered bank account? The Luxembourghese will do that for you. Want to spend your ill-earned money anonymously? The Luxembourg banks will issue a numbered credit card with your numbered bank account. Think about that for a while - a credit card without a name! “We are the pirates of Europe!”, a local gleefully enthuses. Hmmm - I’m a bit amazed you guys were accepted into the EU!
