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The Dutch Tax Scandal
VICTIM NAZMIYE KARADUMAN
Nazmiye Yigit Karaduman (43) was unfairly described as a fraud by the tax authorities. In January, the cabinet resigned because of this allowance affair.
Nazmiye still barely dares to open mail and is afraid of blue envelopes.
Letter from the tax authorities
“I was pregnant and that morning in November 2013, I had the 20-week ultrasound and was told that I would have a healthy girl. After two boys, my husband and I were so happy about that, we wanted to celebrate this good news. But when we got home, there was a letter from the tax authorities on the doormat: I had allegedly wrongly received €32,000 in childcare allowance.
I had to pay that amount within two weeks. In a panic, I called the daycare that my sons were at. There they told me not to worry. They would file an objection and it would be fine. But I had a bad feeling about it right away.”
Calling the tax authorities
“That hunch turned out to be true, because it didn't work out. My objections were dismissed. I called the tax authorities countless times. The moment I gave my Social Security number, I was told that they were not allowed to say anything about my file and that I should hire a lawyer. Only then did I realize that they saw me as a fraud. The only thing my lawyer managed to do was to make a payment arrangement. Every month, I repaid eight hundred euros.”
“I feel powerless. At first, I was honest about our problems with my family. I said I really hadn't cheated, but they didn't believe me. The amount was so high that they thought I had made mistakes myself when filling out the allowance forms.”
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Anxious and insecure person
“Not being believed was very painful. And I started to doubt myself. Had I done everything right? Maybe I didn't check the papers properly anyway? I turned into an anxious and insecure person. I felt ashamed and guilty. I thought maybe I shouldn't have done it at all. works and should have just kept my sons at home instead of taking them to daycare. Then we wouldn't have had this trouble. But I've always wanted to be a good example for my children: that you should be independent as a healthy woman.
Sick due to stress
“Because of all the stress, I became ill. I got a burnout and slept almost all day. I still hate the fact that I couldn't be the mother to my children that I actually wanted to be at that time. Previously, we were an active and entrepreneurial family. Now suddenly we couldn't go on vacation and the boys even had to get rid of football and boxing because we couldn't afford it anymore.”
Allowance affair brought to light
“Three years ago, the benefits affair came to light. In my file, I saw that I had been wrongly labeled a fraud. That recognition was nice, but it also felt double. I found it scary that the government — which is supposed to protect citizens — had done this to us. Who else could I trust? I can't believe this could happen in the Netherlands.”
Thirty thousand euros in compensation
“I have now received thirty thousand euros in compensation, but that is equal to what I have repaid. So this is just my own money, which was previously taken from me. When the money was just in my account, I was afraid to even touch it. I was in the supermarket with my daughter and she asked if she could buy something. I always had to say no, but then I realized we did have money. “You can do anything,” I said and at that moment I broke. In the end, we just left with a carton of milk, I was so overwhelmed with emotions.”
Just say sorry nonchalantly
“Later, we went on vacation with the children and I bought another car. That's it cabinet resigned this year as a result of the affair, doesn't matter much to me. I see it as a kind of play, an empty gesture. Just casually say sorry while lives have been ruined.”
Scared of blue envelopes
“I still barely dare to open the mail and I'm afraid of blue envelopes. The impact has been enormous for all victims, but not everyone dares to talk about it. That's why I'm telling my story, for example, I participated in the recently broadcast documentary Alone Against the State. It was scary to be vulnerable, but I'll do it anyway, in front of all those other victims.”
Friends for life
“The shame must go away, because we did nothing wrong. With some of the other victims, I became lifelong friends. For my children, I hope that they can live carefree and confidently, and can just be children again.”
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