"What Is This?": Tax Authorities Send Belarusians Letters with Strange Questions

New "letters of happiness" come even years after changing jobs.

The editorial office of onliner.by received a letter from Fedor. His mother used to work for an individual entrepreneur who sewed clothes. Four years later, she received a letter from the tax inspection of the Maskouski district of Minsk with interesting questions. For example, the inspection wants to know whether the woman received her salary in an envelope and whether the amount differed from that indicated in the payslip. If she didn't, whether she had not noticed it among the other employees.

- We received this letter the day before yesterday, on April 22. My mother brought it to me and asked, "What is this?" Although a woman of 50+, even she is not afraid. We laugh. We understand why this is being done.

The individual entrepreneur mentioned in the letter was an acquaintance of Fedor's. The woman worked there for several months and not full time: "She helped set up the production process for 3-4 months. That's all". The man assumes that the tax authorities are interested in the owner of the business because of his civil position. The businessman got a fine and served sentence for administrative violations.

- I don't see any more reasons for making up such strange letters about money in envelopes. Moreover, all the people who worked for this man during the whole time the business existed received these," said Fedor.

According to the letter, one should reply by April 31 (there are only 30 days in April). The recipients of the letter are still pondering whether to respond.

- We are still pondering whether to reply. If we do, the answer will be as vague as possible. How can one answer these questions after 4 years? Interestingly, the tax office refers to Article 107 of the Tax Code on tax deductions. It feels like they wanted to write something to make the letter look formidable. After all, no one understands anything about tax deductions anyway.

Journalists dialled the number given in the letter, but they couldn't explain anything: they intend to answer only the questions of the recipient of the letter. Onliner tries to get an official comment.

We should remind that in early March the issue of wages in envelopes was raised again. Lukashenka, talking to the SCC Chairman Vasily Gerasimov, spoke about grey salaries, which must be eradicated. Later, Gerasimov said on BT that one might face administrative responsibility if one did not report the violation.