"Tax Authority cannot handle new taxes" 03/03/2008 00:00

The Tax Authority cannot cope with any new, complex legislation, says the state secretary for finance.

3 March 2008

THE HAGUE – The Tax Authority cannot cope with any new, complex legislation. The authority will not be able to make the necessary changes to broaden the scope of the AOW (old age pension) contribution or effect road pricing, two new measures included in the cabinet's coalition agreement,

State secretary for finance said this in an interview with the Telegraaf on Sunday.

"I'm not saying that it is impossible to do anything, the government may make new policy if it wishes. But that cannot result in complicated regulations," said De Jager with regard to the road pricing plans. De Jager is happy to advise on how the tax can be collected, "but the Tax Authority will not be implementing that."

The state secretary also finds the plans to have people 65 and older with a larger pension pay AOW benefits too complicated.

Green-left GroenLinks wants a parliamentary investigation into the problems at the Tax Authority. The opposition party finds it incomprehensible that De Jager can announce at this point already that the authority will be unable to implement the road pricing tax in several years' time.

De Jager's warning about the tax authority's ability to cope with new legislation follows on new problems at the service. Last Wednesday De Jager reported that the service's computer system had rendered 730,000 digitally filed returns unusable. Those whose returns were affected will have to refile.

[Copyright Expatica News 2008]