Culture & Communication

Target audience

This course is part of the Compensationtrack for tax advisers with a degree in a subject other than tax law, but who work for an NOB-recognised tax advisory practice or as advisers or employees at a tax consultancy who are not tax advisers themselves but who perform closely related activities for an NOB-recognised tax advisory practice.

Tutor

Thijs de Wilde (AsjesBisseling Belastingadviseurs)

Interview for the NOB Annual Report about the Culture & Communication Course

A few years ago, the NOB expanded its membership requirements to include (tax) advisors with non-tax education, provided they are affiliated with an NOB-recognized tax advisory practice and have completed at least a university master’s degree, which can also be a foreign master’s degree. A compensation program has been set up specifically for these members. The Culture & Communication course is part of this program. In this interview, Thijs de Wilde (AsjesBisseling Tax Advisors), the instructor of this course, talks about the purpose and content of the course and his own experiences as an instructor.

Thijs, can you introduce yourself?

I am Thijs de Wilde. I work at AsjesBisseling Tax Advisors as a Senior Tax Manager, where I mainly advise on international tax issues. I primarily work with clients who live abroad or come from abroad. Additionally, we focus on innovative fast-growing companies. Since December, I have been living in Amsterdam again after living in Barcelona for four years with my wife. She worked there for a large Spanish international company where she was responsible for marketing worldwide.  

What background and experience do you bring as an instructor to this course?

Of course, the experience as a tax advisor. Additionally, one of our firm’s partners, Pieter Asjes (former member of the NOB general board), has been closely involved in several topics covered in the course, such as horizontal supervision and the Becon consultation. This has often been a topic of discussion in our technical meetings. Think, for example, of the way the consultation between the NOB, the umbrella organizations, and the Tax Authorities takes place. This has contributed to my affinity with the subject. I have also lived and worked abroad for a long time, so I have experienced not only how the Dutch Tax Authorities operate but also how tax authorities in other countries function.

When you look at the course, what exactly does it entail?

The purpose of the course is to help participants understand the environment they have entered and how that environment relates to the Tax Authorities. This is not specifically about the work environment, such as the office where the participant works, but mainly about the position of the advisor and the NOB in relation to the Tax Authorities. Most participants have an international background, and for them, the Dutch culture is often new. The course therefore offers an in-depth look at how Dutch culture compares to that of other countries and how this manifests itself, for example, in interactions with the Tax Authorities. Think of things like a request for preliminary consultation with the Tax Authorities. In many countries, this is unthinkable, while in the Netherlands it is very common. This is one of the topics we zoom in on during the course.

The first edition of the course was also very educational for me as an instructor. The anecdotes and insights that emerged during the course were very interesting, and it was valuable to see how the participants reflected on the differences between their own culture and Dutch culture. These experiences will also be addressed in future courses.

Who is this course intended for?

As mentioned in the introduction, the course is part of the compensation program. The participants in this course come either from abroad or from sectors that are present in tax practice offices but have not necessarily studied tax law. Think, for example, of the transfer pricing sector.

Are there specific skills that participants acquire that they can apply directly?

The goal of the course is not so much to teach specific skills, but rather to understand the context in which the work takes place and what this means for them. We want to encourage participants to think about cultural differences to become more aware of the environment they are in. We delve into the tax principles of the NOB and the NOB code of conduct and also look at the three core values that the NOB adheres to. Ultimately, we want to give participants more insight into how the NOB and its members relate to the Tax Authorities. Additionally, we look at the changes brought about by the introduction of horizontal supervision, which is a shift from the old situation.

How do participants rate this course?

The feedback from the participants of the first course was very positive. Some participants indicated that they would like to delve deeper into certain topics, and we will certainly facilitate that in the future.

Practical information