After 6 years in the Royal Netherlands Navy, Ton started his career with the Dutch Customs Administration in 1974. After a brief stint at Blauw, the Special Collections Unit, he returned to Customs in 1984 after completing the verifier training programme at the Ministry of Finance, where he helped develop administratively controlled customs procedures. In 1992, he moved to the renowned tax consultancy firm Meijburg & Co., where he advised national and international clients on every aspect of customs legislation until September 2018.

Ton specialises in European customs legislation and has particularly extensive experience in setting up customs arrangements that guarantee the correct payment of import taxes in a joint concept. No less important is that by making maximum use of the existing customs regulations, maximum cost savings can also be achieved.

Moreover, Ton has been involved in the development and establishment of the Authorised Economic Operator (better known by its acronym, AEO) since its inception. This programme aims to make the logistics flows between the global trading blocs safer without unnecessary delays caused by customs procedures.

After working for Meijburg & Co for over 26 years, Ton found a new challenge at Kneppelhout. He can not only pass on his extensive experience to a new generation, but also use it to advise national and international clients, and thus contribute to Kneppelhout’s customs practice.

“In my spare time I like to spend an hour or two on my racing bike. Preferably early in the morning, because then I have a whole day for other fun things like heading out with my grandsons. On quieter days, I like to take long walks with my wife and dog. In bad weather, I like to sit at my computer and edit my digitised version of the Union Customs Code.”