ViceZilla’s Views

I’m no tax attorney or accountant by any stretch of the imagination, bit I’m thinking something is wrong with the Dutch tax man!

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Associated Press) A Dutch court has added a new item to the list of activities eligible for tax relief: drug-running. Seems that a local fisherman convicted of smuggling drugs, can deduct the cost of buying and shipping hashish to the Netherlands from his income on his tax return!

The smuggler appealed to the court after being slapped with $4.4 million tax bill! The court ruled that because he was only convicted of drug running, and not drug trading, he could deduct the cost of buying and transporting the drugs on his taxes. That cut his tax bill to a more manageable $2.4 million!

The case is not the first time a court’s ruling on taxes has raised Dutch eyebrows. In 2005, judges in the northern city of Leeuwarden ruled that witches can write off the cost of schooling in witchcraft against their tax bills if it increases the likelihood of employment and personal income. Obviously the “fishing” market in the Netherlands must be very good for this fisherman to owe the Dutch Government $2.4 million in income tax. Either that or he is a very good smuggler who just happened to get caught this time around.

As far as the witches being able to write off the cost of schooling in witchcraft, I’m of the opinion that the Dutch Tax Officials obviously are taking liberties with the above mentioned fisherman’s confiscated smuggled drugs!

Tags: Musings //