‘mesmerizing…
a warm and pleasant relationship with the Dutch Tax Administration Office.’*
*Quote by Uber whistleblower (een warme en gezellige relatie met de belastingdienst)
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2023-ongoing
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The Netherlands has gained a reputation as a tax haven, exemplified by Uber benefiting from significantly low tax rates. This accommodating stance of the tax authorities towards multinational corporations starkly contrasts with the treatment of parents affected by the Childcare Benefits Scandal.
Through this collection/installation I voice my anger about the Childcare Benefits Scandal and institutional racism. The collection/installation consists of 2 parts. One part is based on transparency, the other part consists of warm and comfortable ‘basics'.
The ‘Childcare Benefits Scandal’ is a Dutch political affair arising from unfounded suspicions of childcare benefits fraud and a stringent recovery policy enforced by the central government. Consequently, many families became indebted and encountered major financial problems, ultimately causing significant disruption of their lives and futures.
Despite the prolonged denial of institutional racism by the Tax Administration Office, shared characteristics among the group of affected parents are: (1) the majority being female, (2) many of them manage singleparent households, (3) many possess either a second nationality or a non-Dutch nationality, and (4) are frequently associated with low-income households. It has been revealed that discriminatory risk profiles have been employed.
I am working on projects featuring the childcare benefits scandal, collaborating with a group of women from Rotterdam who were victimised.
For more information: info@nadinestijns.com
