The 2010 Tax lists - A Norwegian phenomenon

With it's small population, sophisticated systems, it's easy to have full control of each individual registered as residing and working in this small once peaceful country. Every year, by the end of October, the net  taxable income, tax paid and assets of each individual person from last year becomes public .

There is no secret that Norwegians are curious and love the "Tax lists". The questions is if the openness and accessability of the information has gone to far ?. CEO of Datatilsynet (The Data Protection Agency) Bjørn Erik Thon claims that this has become entertainment. The taxable income of a person is an issue between the authorities, and was never meant to be a product for amusement and the press.

As the "Tax lists" has become public and accessible on the web, the income and tax paid by VIP's and public persons fill most newspapers for weeks, although the news is almost a year old, and probably doesn't reveal reality.  The figures published states the net taxable income and assets as valued by the authorities according to their fiscal roules.

However, interesting statistics are published. Of the 43.982 persons registered with permanent address in Poland, 28.000 of these had little or no income, and paid no tax. More than 50%.

The public information from the IRS (Norwegian tax authorities) reveal that Kjell Inge Røkke has about NOK 7 bill. in liquid assets, had no net income and paid NOK 87 million in tax (Capital tax ).

Johan Henrik Andresen is the whealthiest person in Norway, and Trond Moen from Bergen wins "first price" in income and tax.

Unfortunately, there is no list rating the same persons contributions to charity or tax deductable donations.

The total Norwegian tax bill income is about 360 billion nok, paid with more or less with pleasure by the Norwegian entrepreneurs who did not already move to low or non tax countries. Love it or leave it !

(The Norway Post)

Friday, 21 October 2011 19:31