Tax department violated privacy

The Tax department collected income data from all tenants in the Netherlands last year and made the information available to lessors, thereby violating the Dutch Data Protection Act. The tax department collected the information for the income dependent rent increase, but at least twelve percent of the homes, in the private sector, which involves some 350,000 addresses, should not have been included in the list, according to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (CBP).

The lessors use the information for income dependent rent increase which does not apply to tenants in the private sector. The housing union is not surprised by the conclusion of the CBP. Although the tax department took measures to prevent this from happening again, the union condemns the fact that parliament doesn't come up with a better solution. 'We still think the income dependent rent has to be abolished,' said a spokesperson. The Tax department has taken measures to make the calculations for 2014 a different way. The CBP will monitor whether the Dutch Data Protection Act is upheld, and people will be notified when a lessor receives information about their earnings.