Tax office hounds MH17 survivor for grief benefit income

Hans van Mens, the brother of one of the MH17 victims, is having trouble with the Dutch Tax Authorities. The tax office wants him to pay half of the grief benefit her received after his sister's death as income tax, the Telegraaf reports. Lucie van Mens was one of the 196 Dutch victims who died in the disaster with flight MH17 on July 17th last year. She was on her way to a conference when the Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down. Her employer, Female Health Company, had taken out insurance for her, which was paid out to her brother Hans. Hans van Mens would not tell the Telegraaf how much the benefit paid out, but did say that the Tax Authorities is demanding tens of thousands of euros from him. "I'm being hounded by the government, because they see the benefit on behalf of my sister as income. According to me it is pain and suffering money." he said to the newspaper. "The government handled the remains of the victims with great respect, but now I see a ruthless governments that wants to earn from the suffering of the bereaved."