A few years ago I was working as a freelancer. Now, being a freelancer here means two things: First, that you essentially run a business and second, that you are a constant target for the tax collectors, even if you don’t have income from freelancing. In the recent wake of tax raid, I decided to close the books once and for all. How difficult can it be to close a business than opening one? Hah!
I paid a visit to my tax advisor, who prepared no less than five applications and a couple of printouts and some advise. Armed with these, I set off for the state tax office. First stop, the auditors. After consulting the legislation and doing a thorough check, they gave me this:
“Just go around and fill the blanks”, she said. “Off you go now!”
Apparently, it was my turn to walk up and down two floors in the tax office and visit almost every single department to collect signatures and certifications like:
- I have paid all my VAT obligations
- I don’t have any assets registered
- I have filed all my income declarations and done my taxes for the past 8 years
- Other obscure things I don’t remember