Views: 90Europe’s financial surveillance has made ordinary family support a matter for the state. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波   16/12/2025 There is a curious paradox in how the world’s major powers approach financial support within families. In the European Union, a grandmother transferring €5,000 to help her grandchild with a deposit on a house may trigger automatic reporting to tax authorities. In China, the same grandmother could transfer the equivalent of €100,000 via WeChat Pay without attracting any state interest. This contrast inverts common assumptions about which system respects private family life and which does not. The European approach: systematic disclosure of all bank transfers European banking regulations have evolved to treat citizens’ financial activity as inherently suspicious to the state. In Spain, for instance, banks automatically report any cash transaction exceeding €3000 to the tax authorities, along with any use of €500 notes regardless of amount. Transfers of €10,000 or more, … Continue reading The paradox of financial surveillance