New crisis at tax office as benefits scandal drags on: Report

An internal crisis is brewing at the Dutch tax office over its handling of compensation for the victims of the benefits scandal. Many parents falsely labeled as frauds and cheats by the office during the years-long scandal may not be eligible to receive the compensation they are entitled to before the Cabinet-set May 1 deadline, newspaper Trouw reported. Three months after the UHT was formed, it was already dealing with growing pressure in the last months as the workload piled up on its workers, internal conflicts plagued the office, managers disregarded their direct reports, and many staff members began to depart as burnout became increasingly frequent. What that means for parents or lawfulness of what the Tax and Customs Administration is doing, seems completely irrelevant compared to that goal," the newspaper reported about the internal workings of the Belastingdienst.