My letter to the Dutch Tax Institute

For a while I have been struggling with the Tax Institute. But now we have found a harmonious solution together. They called me within a few days after receiving this letter to tell me that they will put the tax debt that ‘they’ projected onto my personality into the fridge. Meaning that I won’t experience any trouble when leaving the country. Only when I will receive some refund in the future this will be taken into account.

It was nice to notice how the man from the Tax Institute was amused to inform me about this news.

I share this (long) letter with you as an inspiration to discover new ways of alignment with people still operating in governmental constructions.

One of the keys to the solution of this conflict to me was realizing that this conflict was an outward projection of an inner conflict. Have I been applying the things that annoyed me in this system onto myself? Yes! That was a key to start integrating this and find such a way of communication that could be heard.

If there’s anything you’d like to ask or share, please let me know. I’ll be happy to answer your questions and hear your perspectives. Honest communication about what I want and feel has been very helpful in this process. Clearly sharing my intention.

This is the letter I have sent:

Dear people who work for the Tax Institute,

I hope to find the right words to communicate with you in a clear way and preferably find a harmonious solution.

1+1=3!

We are in an uncomfortable situation together. And this is how this is caused:

About a year ago I decided to change my life radically. I couldn’t stand to live it anymore like I did. I used the biggest part of my life to worry about my financial situation, beautiful projects for schools that we couldn’t realize because of a lack of money and writing down all this misery in a bookkeeping in a desperate attempt to hold onto my posessions.

I made the decision to live my life like I want to live it. I am the only one to decide how I choose to live my life. And this started to collide with systems, like the tax system, in such away that I decided not to join it anymore. Isn’t it ridiculous that the system that is supposed to take care that people share with each other and take care of one another is called ‘Belasting’? (Dutch for putting a heavy weight on something, straining something) And from this system I receive communication in the form of an ‘aanslag’ (Dutch for attack or hit)! Why is everyone obeying this like an obediant civilian?

I’m not doing this anymore. This is not a personal attack to you, dear reader, but only an honest expression of frustration about a system that needs to transform. A Tax Institute that should have the goal to make itself useless and therein contributes to the day that every one takes their own responsibility and starts sharing with each other freely. There is a huge worldwide movement of people who are already doing this.

Ok, so I gave away my possessions and walked out of this life wit a bag pack. And at that moment I felt the earth turning under my feet. I can recommend this to you.

For years I have ran a small one person company that has meant a lot (and still does) for thousands of children. I tried to do my bookkeeping as good as I could and received refunds yearly or at least didn’t have to pay any taxes. Guided by my very sympathetic accountants. But what a waste of energy and money. For the Tax Institute, .that I have cost money for all those years and for me. A loose loose situation for the both of us.

After care (and pleasure)full considerations I shredded my complete bookkeeping into paper pulp and created a statue of liberty with wings out of this. A beautiful piece of creative bookkeeping if I may say so. I hereby offer you this statue as a gift. (maybe it’s nice for the Dutch Tax Museum?)

Since I started to live without possessions, the power that the Tax Institute used to have over me with threatening to take my belongings diminished. There’s nothing to take anymore. So far, this must sound pretty problematic for you I assume. But I’m using this to create beautiful things now. And now we enter the somewhat ‘vague’ area of the feelings in my heart, intuition and some special occasions along the path of my life. These have led to the decision to work with children who live out in the streets worldwide. With Ghana as a next step. I know (from personal experience) and believe that it is not necessary that they live in misery. (At his point you might ask yourself what I want from you, but please have some patience with me, I’ll get to this point)


So Ghana it is. I decided to use my own life as an experiment to experience and show that it is possible to live like a street child in Love, Joy & Freedom. Now I am living a rich live with hardly any possessions, no solid home and without money. I contribute to the wellness of the ones around me wherever I can. Together with an artist I built mosaic sofas with large groups of children and adults at schools. I eat and sleep at the homes of these people where they like to see me come to stay. I use my experiences as a coach to support people at home in their life. All of this free of charge.

The beauty of this all is that I can’t receive any money legally since I separated myself from the tax system. So my ‘employers’ can not include me in their bookkeeping. So it has become impossible to legally receive the money that people would like to pay me for my services. Now I have them send it to projects of charity that I support in this way.

One could say that I now have become the ideal tax payer by stepping out of this system. I pay 100% taxes. My personal satisfaction and happiness in my life. Currently I am creating a project for children in difficult situations according to the ‘pay it forward’ principle. Inspired by a befriended pastor in Congo and the 600 children he works with. These children are homeless, orphan, infected by Aids, victims of war and talented human beings. They made 1000 paintings with paint that they received to support them in having a special day to forget their suffering for a moment. On these paintings they painted soldiers in Iraq in non-war situations: watching the stars together, flying a kite, bombarding chocolates,… And they sent these paintings to children in Iraq. To support them. This is what I consider to be an example of a win-win situation. They forget their harsh life conditions for a moment, but now express themselves as a talented artist. Someone who enjoys creating something beautiful for someone else and feels good about it and receives gratitude. The children in Iraq receive such a wonderful gift in their lives that shows them that change is possible. Receiving hope and love.

Now I choose my own mission to continue this movement. I will use my talent to live a rich live without money for them to show them that it can be different. I will use my experience as an artist in the classroom to support them in increasing their feelings of self worth. Developing the ability to experience more joy in their lives and to open up their power and talents and share them. This is my specialization. It is my own chosen mission to support children in realizing their dreams for the world. Dreams that many of us are (still) afraid to dream. I will support a global movement of children who support the next group of children in manifesting their dreams, who will support the next group,…

Children for children for children… …for all of us Innovative support for development by someone who pioneers in Life.

And yes, that sometimes is a humpy road to take. It’s not always easy to dare to live completely without money and solidness and doing it. I know. This is why I didn’t communicate this with the Tax Institute directly. In the beginning I was angry at and scared of ‘you’. Now I live in confidence and want to find a harmonious solution together. For several reasons. Within believe system of your employer there’s a debt ‘I’ have to created. While at the same time we could say that this debt is created by the Tax Institute onto me.

I heard that the Dutch police force has the authority to stop me at the border when I’m leaving for Ghana in January. The debt is unjust, because a lot less money was earned. The bookkeeping of 2009 however, resides in my artwork. I had the right to receive a refund but I left it. I just wanted to be free. And I am and will be free, independent of where this situation is taking me. But as I stated before, I hope to find a peaceful resolution that will help all of us on our way and shows us that we are all on the same side.

What I would like most of all is to be freed from the debt that is registered in your system. And to be free of the ‘obligation’ to provide you with a bookkeeping. I live without money so that shouldn’t be to difficult. When my project requires financial transactions for a while then I will take care that there’s someone to take care of this. .But my aim is to create support without money with what is already there. My contribution to the creation of a world where anyone (either with or without money) can lead a rich life. My life here and now is a prove that this is possible.

As a next step I suggest that we make an appointment to meet in a conversation with the shared intention to (hopefully) find a solution where we all be better off.

Next to that I am prepared to co-operate with the Tax Institute when desired. My service to your system. I can offer workshops, coaching, co-creating artworks together, my own vision of looking at things and overtone singing. Not to pay/trade anything, for my ‘debt’ is fictional. But because I share this freely with everyone who wants to receive this. Thank you for your patience with this letter and my story. I’m looking forward to your reply.

While my body is my home, and there’s no mailbox attached to it, I am not able to receive our answer by mail.

You can contact me by phone or e-mail.

All that is left for me now is to wish you a beautiful & inspiring day. May this letter contribute to this.