Niamh Jenkinson

There can be a gap in knowledge between the people who write tax policy and the people who have to live with it. Closing that gap is what drew me to this work.

I was born in Ireland and studied European studies and German. After graduating, I moved to Germany. I wanted to be somewhere more international, where I could connect with other countries and use my languages. There I worked for an e-commerce company as a payment processing specialist, handling finance, invoicing and customer service.

It had always been my plan to do a master's in the Netherlands, because of the high standard of education. I studied Political Economy at the University of Amsterdam. Working on economic policy, I became fascinated by tax policy in particular, took every module I could and wrote my thesis on OECD corporate tax policy. That interest made me want to work in tax, so I decided to stay and started learning Dutch.

What I kept noticing was the gap between tax policy makers and the individuals affected by their decisions, the people actually navigating the system day to day. That is exactly why this role appeals to me. It gives me a close-up view of the real issues people face in the Dutch tax system, rather than seeing it only from a policy level.

I also really enjoy the team here. We work in a shared space, which keeps communication easy, and there is always a colleague ready to help; you can walk up to a senior with any question. There is plenty of room to grow, seniors actively encourage you to build new expertise, and there is a strong community spirit, with regular social activities too.

I write articles for the same reason I enjoy the work. Tax policy can feel distant and abstract, but its effects are very real for individuals. A clear article helps bridge that distance, so people can understand the system and feel more confident finding their way through it.