Massive Errors in Tax Calculations Affecting Pensioners and Homeowners

The electronic property tax calculation system has triggered a major crisis, disproportionately affecting seniors and people on low incomes who were confronted with figures bearing no relation whatsoever to the actual value of their properties.

Extreme cases have been reported in which taxpayers discovered they owed over 800,000 RON on three-room flats in ordinary Bucharest neighbourhoods. These calculation errors caused widespread panic, particularly among elderly residents who rely on modest pensions and have no means of meeting such sums.

The situation was made considerably worse by the fact that many older people, having followed the authorities' advice to pay online and avoid queues, had already paid the erroneous amounts displayed. They are now faced with the difficulty of recovering their money, as well as the anxiety of not knowing what they actually owe.

The electronic platform contained no clear warnings that the figures shown were provisional or had not been updated, which misled a great many users. For seniors who are not comfortable with technology, this lack of transparency has been an additional source of stress and confusion.

Rather than accepting responsibility for the technical failures, some local authorities have begun blaming residents for paying 'too early' — despite having previously encouraged them to use the online system to avoid travelling to service counters and enduring long queues, something of particular importance for vulnerable older people.

This situation highlights the vulnerability of seniors when faced with flawed digital systems, and the urgent need for special safeguards for this category of taxpayer, who require clear and accessible information about their tax obligations.