I'll keep this a short as possible ..... its an tax experience I had ..... and it may explain why I always advise people to use Legal Advice.
I lived in holland for many many years. In Holland you have to register at the town hall when you live in a town, and de-register when you leave. Im english so I wasnt too up to speed with all the rules.
I got a job with an american company in the middle east and moved my whole family over seas. 5 years later I returned to Holland. Simple so far.
I got a tax demand for 5 years back taxes plus interest ........ I went to see them, and explained the situation, simple I thought .... makes sense .... no worries. I got a demand for 510,000 guilders (+/- 150 000 poonds) to be paid within 30 days. The panic started ...... and, for the next 2 years it went back and forth ..... fact is I had forgotten to de-register, so for tax purposes I never left. But they knew I had left and had estimated my overseas earnings.
Eventually it went to the Tax court where I was sure they would see the sense of it all ......... I was given 30 days to pay. After the 30 days I recieved a court order to vacate my house as it has been taken by the tax authorities as had everything else I owned. End of story ...................... it was over.
Day 2 of the 30 day count down - I met a girl in a bar who said ........ john you should see a tax lawyer ...... yeah right, more blood suckers thinks I ......
Whats to lose she says, and anyway .... her boy friend was a tax lawyer and a single phone call set up a meet.
I went down there with a pile of papers 10 inches thick ........ I tell the story ...... he listens ........ he says its a technicality ....... and then ...... leave it with me.
I drove to my Tax Office owned home in my now Tax Office owned car and walked in the door ....... the phone rings ....... its the brief...... and all he says is
ITS SORTED ..............!!!!!
I can't believe what he's saying and drive straight back to his office ...... how can you make a what is now 200 grand tax bill go away ???????
Its simple says he .................
You were dealing on level 1 with level 1 people who can only make level 1 decisions .............
I took it to level 2 ..... I phoned the tax office and told them we were starting procedings in a civil court over something that was a ridiculous technicality and absurd.
as soon as he did that, the case moved to the next level and came under the scrutiny of the Tax Legal People (level 2) who saw how ridiculous it was and the costs of a possible court case .......and immediatly overturned all tax office (level 1) decisions.
Consider the feelings you would have ...... having lost everything ....... to find out in a single moment that life had returned to normal.
The lawyers advice was simple, dont ever get involved in arguments, dont ever try to fight people when you dont know how. You wouldn't let a dietician or beautician work on your car ..... why are you trying to fight a huge corporation like a tax office when you dont know how........
My advice is always - get a brief involved. It always works, and there is no downside other than the initial 100 quid .....
Right then ....... rant over ........... hahahahahaha
I lived in holland for many many years. In Holland you have to register at the town hall when you live in a town, and de-register when you leave. Im english so I wasnt too up to speed with all the rules.
I got a job with an american company in the middle east and moved my whole family over seas. 5 years later I returned to Holland. Simple so far.
I got a tax demand for 5 years back taxes plus interest ........ I went to see them, and explained the situation, simple I thought .... makes sense .... no worries. I got a demand for 510,000 guilders (+/- 150 000 poonds) to be paid within 30 days. The panic started ...... and, for the next 2 years it went back and forth ..... fact is I had forgotten to de-register, so for tax purposes I never left. But they knew I had left and had estimated my overseas earnings.
Eventually it went to the Tax court where I was sure they would see the sense of it all ......... I was given 30 days to pay. After the 30 days I recieved a court order to vacate my house as it has been taken by the tax authorities as had everything else I owned. End of story ...................... it was over.
Day 2 of the 30 day count down - I met a girl in a bar who said ........ john you should see a tax lawyer ...... yeah right, more blood suckers thinks I ......
Whats to lose she says, and anyway .... her boy friend was a tax lawyer and a single phone call set up a meet.
I went down there with a pile of papers 10 inches thick ........ I tell the story ...... he listens ........ he says its a technicality ....... and then ...... leave it with me.
I drove to my Tax Office owned home in my now Tax Office owned car and walked in the door ....... the phone rings ....... its the brief...... and all he says is
ITS SORTED ..............!!!!!
I can't believe what he's saying and drive straight back to his office ...... how can you make a what is now 200 grand tax bill go away ???????
Its simple says he .................
You were dealing on level 1 with level 1 people who can only make level 1 decisions .............
I took it to level 2 ..... I phoned the tax office and told them we were starting procedings in a civil court over something that was a ridiculous technicality and absurd.
as soon as he did that, the case moved to the next level and came under the scrutiny of the Tax Legal People (level 2) who saw how ridiculous it was and the costs of a possible court case .......and immediatly overturned all tax office (level 1) decisions.
Consider the feelings you would have ...... having lost everything ....... to find out in a single moment that life had returned to normal.
The lawyers advice was simple, dont ever get involved in arguments, dont ever try to fight people when you dont know how. You wouldn't let a dietician or beautician work on your car ..... why are you trying to fight a huge corporation like a tax office when you dont know how........
My advice is always - get a brief involved. It always works, and there is no downside other than the initial 100 quid .....
Right then ....... rant over ........... hahahahahaha
