Discrimination experts, including the National Coordinator for Discrimination and Racism, believe that the government has not gone far enough in recognizing that institutional racism sometimes occurs in the tax area. Experts tell NU.nl that ministers must also recognize direct discrimination. Anyone directly involved in discrimination can be prosecuted for this reason. That is not possible with institutional racism.
“Whether there is direct discrimination must be assessed and determined per case or group of comparable cases,” State Secretary Marnix van Rij (Bureau van Belastingen en Belastingen) said on Monday. said. In addition, he said there was “no policy” behind the blacklisting of innocent people, that it was done “without knowing” and “without malicious intent”.
Rabin Baldewsingh, national coordinator for discrimination and racism, believes that the cabinet has not shown everything with these statements. “Why doesn’t the ministry want to talk about direct discrimination? Tables are made on the basis of nationality and religion. Could it be an unconscious act by the authorities? The system here is very categorical, it is not. many unconscious actions.”
Baldewsingh therefore does not understand that Van Rij claims that he “wanted to provide information” for the tax authorities. “It’s very good that he accepts institutional racism. Now he has to move on. He says he will do it conscientiously. But what if this exclusion is not a matter of conscience, but a consequence of the system?”
‘Cabinet must accept legal consequences’
The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (CvdRM) also thinks cabinet history is not enough. “Transparency about mistakes made is part of recognition,” the institute states. said. “If there are legal implications, the company has to accept them.”
Moreover, according to the Commission, Van Rij does not do justice to the case and argues that there was no intent. “It is true that institutional racism does not imply malicious or racist intentions on the part of those responsible. However, this does not reduce the severity of the consequences for those affected.”
What has the IRS done wrong?
- There was institutional racism within the Fraud Signaling Facility (FSV) of the Tax Authorities.
- This FSV contained a ‘black list’ of people based on their nationality or, for example, a donation to a mosque.
- Blacklisted persons or contractors were wrongly selected because they believed the tax authorities would be more likely to defraud them.
- Being on the list can sometimes cause problems: for example, if you ran out of money due to a tax return, you couldn’t pay in installments. Debt restructuring has also become more difficult.
- PwC researchers who study FSV find it difficult to estimate how often this study instruction is applied. They also cannot find which departments or offices this is in.
“Making the tax authorities liable abroad”
Film researcher Hanneke Felten also finds the ‘cultural change’ proposed by Van Rij insufficient. It argues in favor of an external authority, with which the Tax and Customs Administration must take into account its own policy. “For example, if you report to the National Coordinator for Discrimination and Racism or the Human Rights Council, the non-engagement disappears. The Tax and Customs Administration can then be checked for equal treatment. therapy.”
Another possibility, according to Felten, is that the Tax and Customs Administration will test the policy against experts by experience. This could be, for example, a group of victims of an aid scandal, supported by financial experts.
Focusing solely on the culture shift within the tax authorities that Van Rij spoke about will not help, according to Felten. He believes that people should not only change what they think, but also what they do. “It was not about unconscious biases on the part of the tax authorities. It makes little sense to know your own prejudices against people with an immigrant background if you are then instructed to keep a closer eye on them.”
Source: NU
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
