TLDR
- Piia Schults, a 30-year veteran adviser at Estonia’s parliament, was fired after a drafting error in the Gambling Tax Act
- The mistake, passed in December, accidentally removed online casino taxation for 2026
- Estonia now faces a €4 million revenue gap because of the error
- Schults plans to sue, calling her dismissal unjust and saying false claims led to her firing
- Riigikogu Chancellery Director Antero Habicht called the dismissal “unavoidable and necessary”
A longtime parliamentary adviser in Estonia is preparing to take legal action after being fired over a mistake in the country’s Gambling Tax Act.
Piia Schults served the Riigikogu Chancellery for more than three decades. Her career came to an abrupt end after a drafting error she was responsible for made it through the legislative process.
The mistake was included in a version of the Gambling Tax Act that was passed in December. It accidentally removed online casino taxation for the year 2026.
That error left Estonia facing a €4 million hole in its expected revenue. The government now has to deal with the financial fallout from the oversight.
Schults has not denied that the mistake happened. She told Estonian public broadcaster ERR that it was “indeed terrible” and that she was “very shaken by it.”
However, she stressed that this was the first error of its kind in her entire career. She described her work not as a career but as a “mission.”
Schults Says False Claims Prompted Her To Speak Out
Schults believes her dismissal was driven in part by her decision to speak to the press. She said reputational damage was cited as the main reason for letting her go.
She told ERR she had not wanted to go public at first. But she felt she had no choice after statements made by Riigikogu Chancellery Director Antero Habicht that she says were not accurate.
“There were claims there that simply were not correct,” she said. She added that she has already begun working with a lawyer to build her case.
Schults said she is more likely to pursue the matter through the courts rather than through Estonia’s labor dispute committee. She believes the case could bring legal clarity to how officials are treated when mistakes happen.
“I think this is quite an important case,” she told ERR. She hopes her challenge will also encourage colleagues who may face similar situations.
She expressed gratitude for the public support she has received. “People have written and called me, and I truly appreciate it,” she said.
Chancellery Director Defends the Decision
Habicht responded to the situation with a brief statement. He said the dismissal was “unavoidable and necessary” and that the trust needed to continue the working relationship was no longer there.
He declined to comment further, citing the expected legal proceedings. He also said that politicians were not involved in the dismissal process.
When asked whether Schults had faced prior warnings or issues, Habicht said problems are usually handled verbally and confidentially. He did not confirm or deny any earlier incidents.
He confirmed that disciplinary proceedings followed the rules set out in Estonia’s Civil Service Act. Under that process, the employee is given a chance to provide explanations and objections before a final decision is made.
Schults said she views taking the case to court as her duty. “It has been a very difficult period and I am very grateful to people. But I feel it is my duty to take this matter to court,” she said.
