Agnes Maassen

Tax policy advisor Werkgever: Ministerie van Financiën Afgestudeerd: 2016

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/agnes-maassen-6b477354?trk=hp-identity-name

Waarom Fiscale Economie?

I chose to study Fiscale Economie because I always loved having very technical discussion, for example, about politics, physics and philosophy. After finishing my Bachelor in Fiscale Economie at Erasmus School of Economics, a Master in Fiscale Economie was of course the logical next step. With the high standards of the Bachelor I knew the master would appeal to me and challenge me to push myself further.

Het curriculum

What I experienced during my studies (and nowadays my job) is a pleasant balance between the very juridical side of taxes, the economic effects of taxes as well as the scientific framework behind it all. Next to this theoretical knowledge, I gained very practical skills such as academic writing, debating and developing a personal opinion about a diverse range of topics.

The utmost valuable skill I developed, both for my personal and professional life, is to challenge the facts presented and question everything. By constantly trying to understand the why behind arguments it helps me to gain deeper insights and develop, together with others, new ideas. For myself, I find it extremely important to think critically whilst being open minded to the ideas of those around me. This allows me to be optimistic whilst being critical, which I personally find a key virtue to have in life.

Droombaan

After my graduation I got my dream job working as a tax policy advisor at the Dutch Ministry of Finance. This allows me to actually have an impact on Dutch tax law and make long lasting changes. My main task is to prepare tax legislation following from national policies or international agreements (for example, agreements within the EU or the OECD). Next to this I also prepare the answers of questions asked by members of the Parliament and advise the secretary of state on tax issues.