News article | 01-06-2023 | 15:44
Legal assistance in disputes with the tax and customs administration and the benefit agency
The firm will appoint an independent representative for the tax and customs administration and the benefits agency. This lawyer will help citizens and companies who are stuck in the implementation of their cases or for whom help is needed quickly because there are significant (financial) consequences. At first, the cabinet will appoint a quartermaster who will design how it should be designed independently. Legal assistance should correspond as much as possible to the wishes and needs of citizens and businesses.
The representative to be appointed should ensure continued attention to practical legal protection in the implementation of the two services and ensure that stranded citizens and businesses are further assisted. The representative also identifies structural problems that arise from situations in which the legislation and regulations implemented by the tax and customs administration and the Benefits Agency are restrictive.
State Secretary van Rij and State Secretary de Vries: “We think it is important that there is an independent party that stands on the side of citizens and businesses, if they cannot find a solution with the first line services of the tax and customs administration. and/or the Benefits Agency. The independent representative is therefore an important complement to the existing services provided by the company and the tax and customs administration and the benefits agency.
Whole-of-government approach
Citizens can already turn to various parties for legal assistance. This includes social advisers, trade unions, social service providers and the Juridisch Loket. However, this aid is not sufficient or affordable for everyone. In addition, the help available sometimes differs from one region to another. This is why the government also wants to improve access to independent legal assistance at the local level. The government does this, among others, through the Work on Implementation (WAU) programme.
In addition, the Tax and Customs Administration and the Benefits Agency are developing their services for intermediaries, such as social counsellors. For example, a trial is underway within the tax and customs administration where social advisers have their own telephone number for the tax information line. In the Benefits Department, a certain number of intermediaries can already contact the Benefits Department directly. In the coming period we will consider how this can be introduced more widely. Broadly, the tax and customs administration and the benefit agency are committed to further strengthening their own existing processes. Such as counters and support centers, the assistance team for people with complex tax debts (Stella) and the tax mediation counter.
Follow up
In the short term, the firm will begin to recruit a quartermaster who will develop a project for the structure of the independent representative. The firm expects the quartermaster to begin work in early September. The government wants the representative to start work in 2024.