Top Danish IRS Director Sacked – for Tax Evasion

Well isn't it great. One of the reasons I left Denmark was the tax system – where only the rich and wealthy can afford tax advisors who know the loopholes to avoid paying tax and your top tax bracket is 68%. Yes you read right – 68% of your last earned Kroner go to the IRS.

Now it seems like a Danish Top Executive (Now Ex. Director Claus Kaaber) in SKAT (The Danish version of IRS) have been sacked for … "Aiding Tax Evasion"

The bugger bought a piece of land from someone in Spain – and agreed to pay part of the purchase price "non-disclosed" to the Spanish IRS. So the seller did not have to pay tax from the proceeds.

The truly disgusting part here is – SKAT has sacked him – but with 8 months pay, 2 months' pay for the years he was employed – and 6 months dismissal pay. How come that someone in such a high position can get so much severance pay – for aiding potential tax evasion? Unreasonable!

Damn the Danish society looks nice on the surface – but beneath the surface it is muddy waters.

Links to the Story in Danish from Boersen (Danish kind of "Financial Times")

Sorry this does not really belong here on a Tech blog – but I had to get it out J

Put ICE in your Phone

The Rescue Services in co-operation with the Medical Emergency services in Copenhagen Denmark has a big problem – and a great and quick solution.

When people come in to be treated, sometimes is can be hard to find information about relatives and next of kin – for example who do you contact in case of emergency? Well we should all carry a “contact card” on us – but most of us have a wallet full of stuff anyway.

But the Rescue Services and Medical Emergency services in Copenhagen have a great idea – and a simple solution.

Since most people today have Mobile Phones – they suggest that we all put the phone number of our “In Case of Emergency” contacts into the mobile, so the Rescue Personal can look it up quickly if needed.

But write them down so contact name is ICE (In Case of Emergency) – and if you have multiple contacts – then ICE1 – ICE2 – ICE3 etc.

I think it is a great idea and very simple.

Of course it only works if the phone is not locked with a pin-code. But maybe if we show the mobile phone manufactures that it can work and people do it – then they might make it a “std” feature in the phones someday – so ANYONE can look up or call an “ICE number” on a mobile.

Pass it on!