Very scary letter
Got a letter today from the Swiss authorities. This is enough to send a shiver through my spine. Not to mention what I felt when I opened it! I have been taught by my Swiss friends that you do not fool around with the authorities around here.
Anyway, opening the letter revealed a register No to start with. And we’re not talking a three digit number here, we’re talking 0123 45 678.90.123.456 (that’s how long the reg No is). Only that is enough to scare you...thinking how many were there before you? The sender was “Direkte Bundessteuer”, meaning something like direct tax. Now tax is a word that doesn’t have a good ring with me. Or most people for that matter. Imagine my horror when I saw this huge amount on the bottom of the document. I don’t have grey hair yet, but I very nearly developed some today I tell you.
So, what to do? Call my auditor of course. Lovely people. They are used to this kind of thing (and funnily enough seem to enjoy it too!). Turns out that the bottom of the page reveals (in extremely tiny letters) “do not pay”. THANKS! But a thought kinda stuck with me. Maybe they do not mean now, but later?
I also didn’t particularly enjoy the words “please prove within the next few days...” and “thank you for your efforts”, which I interpreted like if you cannot prove it, pay up or the police will be knocking on your door. Hmm, sorry got distracted there, men in uniform :)
Anyway, the auditor finally confirmed that this was the Swiss authorities way of telling you how much you’re were supposed to pay in tax. Not how much you actually did pay. For 2004! People, we’re talking a two year delay in communication here. This gives a whole new meaning to the Swiss being introvert. No wonder they don’t talk. They have to think about it first. For two years :)
So, all is well in Switzerland. Or, let me rephrase that. I will tell you in two years! If it was well today.
Anyway, opening the letter revealed a register No to start with. And we’re not talking a three digit number here, we’re talking 0123 45 678.90.123.456 (that’s how long the reg No is). Only that is enough to scare you...thinking how many were there before you? The sender was “Direkte Bundessteuer”, meaning something like direct tax. Now tax is a word that doesn’t have a good ring with me. Or most people for that matter. Imagine my horror when I saw this huge amount on the bottom of the document. I don’t have grey hair yet, but I very nearly developed some today I tell you.
So, what to do? Call my auditor of course. Lovely people. They are used to this kind of thing (and funnily enough seem to enjoy it too!). Turns out that the bottom of the page reveals (in extremely tiny letters) “do not pay”. THANKS! But a thought kinda stuck with me. Maybe they do not mean now, but later?
I also didn’t particularly enjoy the words “please prove within the next few days...” and “thank you for your efforts”, which I interpreted like if you cannot prove it, pay up or the police will be knocking on your door. Hmm, sorry got distracted there, men in uniform :)
Anyway, the auditor finally confirmed that this was the Swiss authorities way of telling you how much you’re were supposed to pay in tax. Not how much you actually did pay. For 2004! People, we’re talking a two year delay in communication here. This gives a whole new meaning to the Swiss being introvert. No wonder they don’t talk. They have to think about it first. For two years :)
So, all is well in Switzerland. Or, let me rephrase that. I will tell you in two years! If it was well today.
posted by Annika @ 7:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home