In Russia, when a policeman wants to see what is in your pockets or see what you are carrying in the trunk of your car, he must draw up a report and call witnesses, but instead he will tell you: “Why do you need these extra procedures, you are not a criminal?”
just tell them you are exercising your rights.
But if we talk about taxes, then in Russia there is the concept of “withdrawal of money from a bank account without acceptance.” If the tax office believes that this money in a citizen’s account is a tax, then why send a letter? They can take the money from the bank account themselves.
yeah the IRS can freeze your bank account and take money out of it too. but they give people a chance to fix the matter first.
And if you have been sent a letter with any demand, then you have the legal right to use legal assistance and write your objections to the tax authorities in another letter.
make sure you do it by their deadline they give you.
Tax authorities make a lot of mistakes, but you don't have to condone their mistakes.
most of the mistakes are probably not in the taxpayers favor. when the irs makes a mistake, it's harder to get money back from them....
In Russia there is a different philosophy: only the guilty person pays.
An innocent person defends his rights, writes letters and complaints to supervisory authorities.
Do they get to bill the Russian tax authority for all the time they wasted to prove they were innocent?
If you ever visit Russia, know that not everywhere you should talk about your rights. There are a lot of cameras in Moscow and St. Petersburg, so you can talk about your rights there, but I would not advise doing this in other places if you do not know the situation.
I agree that the tax office can freeze a bank account, but it is impossible to take money without a court decision. In Russia, tax inspectors take advantage of the illiteracy of the population and convince them what is the best way to pay, but this is not always better.
What is your deadline for responding to tax letters? In Russia, 10 days from the date of receipt, but if there are valid reasons (illness,..) then the deadlines are extended. But if you expect such letters, then you should be prepared for retaliatory actions.
The tax office made mistakes when working with me. After the letter, the money was returned within 30-45 days, these periods are regulated by law. You can go to court, but the damage is also calculated according to the law. Small amounts make it unprofitable to go to court.