Getting Money Back in Malta

        

           The Treasury of Malta is Nice!

 

This is something I couldn’t believe:   When you move here from a Non-EU country, you have to pay the Treasury Department 1200 Euros as a deposit for importation of personal effects.

In other words, you have to pay 1200 Euros if you bring in your own furniture to Malta.  The 1200 Euros is refunded back to you if you can prove you’re lived in Malta for a year and haven’t sold your furniture to the Maltese. I don’t get it either.  But you have to pay this via the moving company in Malta or you won’t get your things from the dock.

So I paid it when my stuff came. And so did my friends who came from Turkey—even though they were really from Belgium.

Well after a year my friends decided to leave Malta and return to Belgium. What trouble they had getting their 1200 Euros back!  The treasury wouldn’t accept anything that proved they had been here a year—not a lease, not utility bills, nothing.  The only way they could get their money back was to go and pay ten Euros to a lawyer who made them take an oath that they had lived in Malta a year and not sold their furniture. 

Well, that was easy. Makes no sense, of course. But they did it and finally got their refund back— not directly but they were able to subtract it from the mover’s bill in Malta.

For some miraculous reason, I had an easier time.

I was sure I would never see that 1200 Euros again.  But when the year was up, I took all my pay slips from work, my lease, my passport, my toilet paper, my bank statements—and they initially accepted them as proof, saying I would get a final answer in about six weeks.

And guess what happened? I got a final answer that my request has been accepted. And then guess what?

I got a check!!  I got a check for 1200 Euros from the Maltese Treasury. 

And here’s the amazing part. And I’m quoting now:  “The Accountant General has the pleasure to enclose the following checque…”

They said they had the pleasure to pay me my refund. 

Do you think they really meant it—or were they just being nice?

Comments

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

B !!!!!  xxxx How could I not recognize my own daughter?  How is that b______ supervisor of yours?  Love, Mom

[B]

Guess again, you never know who is reading this!!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Ha Ha, Lynne--I was waiting to see who would notice that--and Im glad it was you!  XXX  BTW, I will do anything that works (And dont worry--THAT doesnt work anymore--well, I dont know because I dont try that kind of thing.) I hope my kids arent reading this--but they never read anything I write anyway...know what I mean? xxx Ilene

[Lynne]

I say you bribed them with your toilet paper! YEP - I saw that up there in your post - sweet talking them with TP will do it every time! ;-)

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Antonella--you noticed that, right? Well, youre wrong in one aspect--I did work for nothing--almost nothing. Good luck starting your job soon xxx Ilene

[Antonella]

Congratulations Ilene ! I guess your salary slip did the trick... you haven't worked for nothing after all :-) Long live the Treasury ! XXX