April is the start of the VAT season of the new year. In January we finish the VAT of the previous year. After January we start to fix the annual reports and start to make the income tax declarations for the small business entrepreneurs and the privateers. From the first of March people can start doing it themselfs at the portal of the tax office website. Most people make sure that they do those taxes before the 1st of May (the same year)! I'm a consultant and I can get a delay till May 1st the next year. Personally I like to do as many tax returns in February, March and April (so for the 1st of May the same year), because it is a good way to get the big bulk of the declarations done!

In total I proces in April around 300 declarations (VAT, income, business tax). That is about one third of the work for one year. This is only possible whit good preparations. For my clients I always advise to keep your administration in order. So don't fall behind sending invoices, sales, bankstatements, etcetera. A gap of a month is easy to handle, three months / a quarter can give you difficulty, but any periode longer than three months gives you trouble. My advice is keep your finance in balance every month preferably.

two issues are inescapable "death and taxes"

Sometimes I understand that it all goes very wrong. Many clients I meet for the first time have a lot of financial problems. They are to blame for it, but I never see it that way. I'll explain. If you buy a car and you let the repairs be done at a garage/dealer. And let's say that the garage is not really doing a good job. You asked them many times to fix your car, but you are never satisfied. You don't go to that garage anymore and you will certainly not recommend them. You choose an other one. If we are talking about the tax office, you can complain to them, but you can't go to an other one. And if you meet the wrong people at the tax office, life can be frustrating and ignorant.

So I meet people who have big issues at the tax office. And the tax office has to collect big numbers of those "civilians". Is that really true? No, never! It is individual frustration to the tax office of that civilian of vise versa. I know and agree two issues are inescapable "death and taxes" (free to "Meet Joe Black"). But if we notice as civil servant or as civilian, that we don't like each other and therefor won't look for the best result, it would be nice that the civilian can choose an other civil servant or the civil servant says I'll get you a collegue of mine to help best!

I realize the older I get I don't like all people and not all people like me. The older I get I realize that we don't need to like all people and not all people has to like each other. But sometimes we have to deal with institutions, like the tax office, we can't go around or avoid; wouldn't it then at least be great that we arrange that we talk to someone that is willing to help me and you. It would make the life for many civilians much nicer and easier.

I dare you civil servant to match your social equal. Happy Taxing!