In Spain they found that a huge amount of previously cash-in-hand work came to light and was switched to cashless after Covid. As the benefits paid by the state were based on declared income, people who had part of their salary in cash, or did moonlighters, had no way of showing their true income, so didn't get the corresponding furlough or benefit payments.

And the only way to prove it would be to finger themselves for tax and social security fraud.

So in fear of future pandemics - which at the time everyone was promising, if you recall - a lot of people went legit, took the hit, and paid up as insurance against the next plague event.

Everyone also has the 'Bizum' app on their phone, which feels like it's not officially tracked as it's not the bank doing the transfer but some start-up in Lithuania or wherever. But it absolutely is on the radar.

I once missed a tax instalment for a grand or something, so Hacienda wrote to 5 of my clients saying - the next €1000 you owe Señor Clapham, you must pay to us instead. I received nothing the next month, as they were all paying the outstanding invoices to the tax man, for several times what was owed, and then I had to claim it back - which took about 3 months. Nice.