In any case, it concerns Gidi Markuszower (PVV), Thierry Baudet (FVD) and Roelof Bisschop (SGP). Baudet will be cut to the maximum on his salary: he must repay around 40,000 euros. In the case of Markuszower and Bisschop, the amounts involved are smaller. The relevant Members of Parliament will report this on request.
At the end of last year, a large majority of the House of Representatives voted to suspend Thierry Baudet because he refused to list his additional positions in a public register. (ANP / Dutch height / Peter Hilz)
‘Very sloppy’, says Paul Bovend’Eert, professor of constitutional law at Radboud University. Bovend’Eert points out that employers and benefits agencies often make agreements about additional income and that violation of this can have major consequences. The fact that the House of Representatives does not adhere to its own rules undermines confidence in the institute, says Bovend’Eert. ‘You want to prevent authority from being undermined. Then you have to take these kinds of obligations seriously.’
Klaas Dijkhoff is still in default two years later
MPs must report their additional income to the Tax and Customs Administration before 1 April each year. Anyone who earns more than 14 percent of his or her salary (the law speaks of an ‘indemnification’) will then be reduced in wages.
Ninety (former) MPs failed to meet that deadline last year. This was already apparent from documents released by the House in December after an appeal to the Open Government Act (Woo). The published documents extend to 2018. Dozens of reports were also missing for previous years. The House of Representatives initially refused to reveal the names of the members who failed to do so, but after objection from BNR, chair Vera Bergkamp (D66) shared the identity of the MPs at the beginning of this month, together with an up-to-date list.
Document: Current overview
Document: Internal correspondence House of Representatives
Document: Late reporters 2021
Document: Late reporters 2020
Most (former) MPs now appear to have made a clean sweep, but according to data from the Tax and Customs Administration, fifteen still did not have their administration in order in June, often years later. The majority of these were VVD and PVV members. The most prominent name on the list is that of former party chairman Klaas Dijkhoff, who failed to report any additional income in his last two years as a Member of Parliament. ‘A mistake,’ says Dijkhoff. ‘The Tax and Customs Administration has now received these forms in good order.’ Notably absent is fellow party chairman Thierry Baudet. He already reported – albeit too late – last year his additional income for 2021.
Years too late
In June 2023, no additional income statement was yet known to the Tax and Customs Administration for the period 2018-2021 of the (former) Members of Parliament listed below
PVP
Chris Jansen Karen GerbrandsGabriellë PopkenEmiel van DijkGidi Markuszower
VVD
Klaas DijkhoffHan ten BroekeSven KoopmansJan Middendorp
D66
Tjeerd de Groot Jessica van EijsKees Verhoeven
Other parties
Gijs van Dijk (PvdA)Rene Peters (CDA)Henk Krol (BVNL)
BNR contacted all MPs who had not yet made a report. Most indicated that it was a mistake and that they had no additional income. (Notification is also mandatory if additional income is zero).
‘A carelessness’, says Kees Verhoeven (D66). For Sven Koopmans (VVD) a matter of unfortunate timing – he left immediately after his parliamentary membership abroad and thus missed the form. “I would never knowingly ignore this.” He also has no additional earnings in the missed years and indicates that he will still report this.
Some cite personal circumstances as the reason. Gijs van Dijk (PvdA) was kicked out of the PvdA party against his will in 2022, otherwise ‘I would have fixed this mistake long ago’. Others had additional income, but did not know the rules. ‘I was not aware that I had to declare additional income separately in this way,’ writes Chris Jansen (PVV). ‘Otherwise I would have done that, of course.’ Henk Krol (BVNL) believes that he was assured by telephone by the Tax Authorities that he did not have to submit a statement. Almost all MPs said they would still report this to the Tax and Customs Administration. Only Emiel van Dijk (PVV) could not be reached for comment.
In practice, with impunity
In addition to the three MPs who are being cut on their income, there was a larger group of MPs who indicated that they had not reported additional earnings that remained below the limit of 14 percent of their compensation. Han ten Broeke (VVD), Klaas Dijkhoff, Chris Jansen and Henk Krol all said that they therefore did not owe a discount.
Reporting late is against the law, but in practice it can be done with impunity: enforcement is a task of the House of Representatives itself, which has so far only taken action once against a member who violated the rules on additional income. Thierry Baudet was suspended for a week in October because he refused to have his activities for a BV recorded in a public register.
However, reporting additional income to the Tax and Customs Administration is a separate procedure. In it, Baudet chose to declare additional income without specifying an amount. This is allowed, but results in a maximum discount on the annual salary of 35%. Baudet must therefore repay 40,000 euros. “Those two things are completely separate from each other,” Baudet told BNR. “There’s no question of me getting more money than I’m entitled to.”
Baudet (FVD) chose not to make a specification with the Tax Authorities in 2021 and was therefore cut to the maximum on his Chamber salary. The following year he did give up and was again cut to the maximum. (Thierry Baudet)
‘Just laziness, not unwillingness’
Markuszower (PVV) says that a few days before BNR contacted him, he reported the income from a BV that he runs in addition to his membership in parliament. “I’m always late,” says Markuszower. ‘Not just with reporting, with everything. That’s just laziness, not unwillingness.’ The PVV member was cut in 2020 and says he has earned so much again in 2021 that this will be the case again. The discount will amount to several thousand euros, says Markuszower.
Roelof Bisschop (SGP) reports that he has already repaid a modest amount because he barely exceeded the 14 percent standard in 2021. He earned 15,500 euros as a member of the Supervisory Board at an educational institution and smaller amounts for a number of publications. According to Bishop, he was cut for 603 euros.
Other MPs who, according to the House of Representatives, reported their additional income on time and were cut, included independent MP Pieter Omtzigt and Hans Smolders (BVNL). According to the secondary income register of the House of Representatives, Omtzigt earned almost 150,000 euros with the sale of his book, A new social contract, and was therefore cut as much as possible on his salary.
Omtzigt noted in the register that he donated everything he had left over net, so after deducting the discount, to the food and clothing bank of Enschede. In 2021, Smolders had a seat in the Tilburg municipal council and the Provincial Council of Brabant in addition to the Lower House. The income from this also exceeded 14% of his Chamber salary and he is therefore also being cut, he says.
The Chamber itself calls for stricter rules
In the House of Representatives, voices are now being raised for stricter supervision of integrity rules.
Joost Sneller (D66) pleaded in June to suspend MPs who fail to act as long as violations continue. Incidentally, released documents show that he was also late in reporting his additional income for 2021.
Professor Bovend’eert also sees the benefit of a more active attitude on the part of the House of Representatives itself. ‘A lot is now left to the initiative of the members.’ Bovend’eert advocates integrity training for new members, following the American model.
2023-08-14 20:20:43
#Baudet #Omtzigt #cut #salary #reporting #extra #earnings
