Cash payments abroad - possible?

For that amount of money, whatever method you use there's going to be a paper trail. Nobody will accept a large amount of cash from an anonymous person and remit it out of the country without verifying your identity.

Chris

Surely the purpose of identity checks is to ensure the money is good, but that is a moot point if I bring it in cash?

Or is this related to money laundering laws and if so which law and what are the thresholds?

Depending on the fees involved and where the person is, you may find it easier to take the money to him yourself, by flying out there. Or post the cash to him insured.

I can't be resident in his country when I pay him as I am trying to avoid VAT. I don't trust anyone other than family enough to post them cash! He's a patent attorney and is listed with that country's Justice Ministry as a registered patent attorney. I initiated contact for services required and it wasn't unsolicited.

I`d question the integrity of someone in that position who is willing to try and avoid taxation like this. If they`ll bend some rules, how do you know they won`t bend other rules, to your detriment this time?

I am resident in the UK at present and not resident in the country I am drafting the patent in. So AIUI I am not legally required to pay VAT - everything is above board. The country is a signatory of the Paris Convention so a patent there is as good as a patent here.

Surely the purpose of identity checks is to ensure the money is good, but that is a moot point if I bring it in cash?

Or is this related to money laundering laws and if so which law and what are the thresholds?

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tim

In that case why do you want to use cash instead of sending the money from a UK bank account? If you ever need to prove that you were not resident in the recipient's country then being able to show the money as having been sent from a UK bank account in your name would only make your case stronger.

Chris

And having thought about it,I missed an important point. The OP states that he doesn`t trust the person he is sending money to enough to send him cash, but wants to send him the money without leaving a paper trail. No paper trail means that, just like cash, it`s fairly easy for the other person to deny ever having been sent the money. Could cause fun in the future!

No problem. Buy something like a valuable painting or a block of gold. Pack it in your checked baggage and fly out to your friend. Give it to him to sell there :-)))

Yes you can. Western Union will do this for the right fee. So may others. Of course it won't be paperless or untraceable ... and the recipient will need proof of id to collect and it'll have some hefty transaction charges.

If you have some Asian friends, try hawala banking ;-) Now that really does not leave an auditable trail ......... which is why the USA and UK intelligence agencies, police and tax authorities hate it so much. Better make sure they don't catch you using it ......

Western Union will accept cash, but they also require the sender to provide two forms of identification. One of these (passport or birth certificate) is to verify the sender's name, the other (utility bill etc.) is to confirm his address.

Chris