Horens Stalbe: Most people aren't tax experts, and the tax authority should explain things simply

Latvian multidisciplinary artist Horens Stalbe says the tax system remains difficult for many people to navigate, since not everyone has the background needed to independently understand all the rules and rates involved. In his view, responsibility for this shouldn't rest solely on individuals — state institutions also bear responsibility for explaining complex information in an accessible way.

Stalbe notes that people are often urged to track their own tax obligations carefully, but it's worth remembering that most residents are not financial or tax specialists. He describes himself as someone from the art world for whom accounting and taxation are not part of daily professional life. When uncertainties arise, he reaches out directly to the State Revenue Service (VID).

A positive experience with VID

While getting through to VID by phone isn't always easy, Stalbe says that once he does reach staff, the answers have consistently been friendly and explained in plain, understandable language. His questions tend to be practical — for instance, whether tax is owed on a specific type of income, whether an amount has been calculated correctly, or how to handle fees received for concerts and other creative work.

Based on his experience, VID employees have been able to clarify such matters in a way that someone without deep financial knowledge can follow. Stalbe emphasizes that this kind of communication matters a great deal — the tax system itself may remain complicated, but institutions should help people navigate it rather than assume everyone already understands the rules.

The artist says he doesn't try to present himself as a tax expert. Instead, whenever doubts arise, he simply asks the people who deal with these questions professionally — an approach that, he says, has worked well for him so far.