It’s Official - I’m DAFT

Ann and I have been trying to keep things moving right along with all of our paperwork, but normal bureaucratic processes take time and we’d pretty much decided that things were not going to work out before we leave on our vacation not too long from now.  So much so that we’d already made an appointment to get an additional visa stamp in our passport because our immigration attorney informed us that the immigration folks (IND) hadn’t even assigned us a case officer by March 20, the day our visa stamp expired (we were allowed to stay until a decision had been made).

So much to my surprise yesterday, my accountant sends me an email concerning another filing I’d made.  The reason I’m now my own employee is that, as an employee, I was able to file for a 30% ruling.  As my accountant described it, it’s Tax Paradise in Holland.  Well yesterday, my ruling came through.

Approved!  For the next 5 years, my income tax liability is reduced by 30%.  Given European tax rates, that’s tremendous!

So here I was this morning thinking that it’s been a very good week.  Then I get an email from our immigration attorney

My DAFT (Dutch American Friendship Treaty) visa has been approved.  We are now residents of The Netherlands until January 20, 2024.  We can of course request an extension!

And as I was thinking it couldn’t get any better, I went outside to check to see if any mail has arrived.  There was nothing in the box, but a white and orange van was driving up the way and . . . Post NL has those color trucks.  It stopped and the guy game me an envelope from RDW (the Dutch DMV).

Our Dutch Title to the bimobil and, just as important, our license plate number.  We can now get the vehicle plated and insured.

What a couple of days!