Tax deal nearly dead as D66 walks out over lack of new jobs

The negotiations on the cabinet's tax plan have fallen apart due to too large differences between the political parties' views. The coalition had a meeting to discuss the tax reform with the ChristenUnie, SGP, GroenLinks and D66 at the Ministry of Finance on Monday night. D66 leader, Alexander Pechtold, walked out of the negotiations because he thinks that there is too little space for creating more jobs, NOS reports. The political parties are too far apart, he said to the broadcaster as he was leaving the meeting. Pechtold wants a comprehensive reform of the tax system. According to VVD leader Halbe Zijlstra, the D66 walked out when they started arranging another meeting. SGP leader Kees van der Staaij called the meeting "a fair process", but noted that the differences are too great. It is now up to the cabinet to decide how to proceed from here, he said. Now that the negotiations have failed, it seems that the cabinet's tax plans will not go through. The coalition needs the D66's support for a majority in the Eerste Kamer, Senate. State Secretary Eric Wiebes of Finance is disappointed. "I am very sorry. There is no majority for solid reform." he said to NOS.