Emotional taxes.

Past week some of the euphoria I had of passing my ISEB exam was a bit tempered.

First I got a letter from 'de Belastingdienst' (taxadministration) that I was 'randomly' selected (I get selected every year so I think not so random) and that I had made an error in the incometax declaration (mind: this was a declaration which I send in in the 1st quarter of 2007! (over 2006) of my late mother who passed away in april 2006.
Probably the error has no effect on the amount that I have payed or have received (I hope) but the emotional impact was enormous. I just cannot understand why the taxadministration doesn't think twice about these very emotional declarations and send these letters a year and a half after the declaration was made. The emotional damage is much larger then the financial benefit I would think. It seems I cannot close the chapter on mourning, wounds are kept open this way.

Second I had my own income tax declarions still on my to-do list. Every year I wonder on the part where taxes are divided among the partners; you have to do this by yourself and find the most optimal balance. Is the taxadministration really that stupid that they think somebody will set the balance so that the amount isn't the most favourable? I also wonder on the parts I have to fill in which are the same for everybody. And why do I have to fill in all the parts which are standard for everybody? And why can't I just fill in the deviations and make the work more easy and shorter since they get my income-data from my employer every month? They should have the money to develop such a product because I'm paying enough every year!

So the taxes caused two major negative emotions last week; grief and anger. I'm glad they don't claim emotional taxes...