Yesterday, businessman and Aker owner Kjell Inge Røkke announced that he wants to move to Switzerland. Professor emeritus in tax law at the Norwegian Business School BI Ole Gjems-Onstad believes that Røkke has paid around NOK 660,000 a day in wealth tax. The news surprised parliamentary representative Hadia Tajik (Ap). To DN she said that it brings the debate around the “five-year rule” up to date. The rule states that you stop paying tax on capital gains, for example from share capital, after living abroad for five years. Now Tajik says that the Labor Party will consider increasing this limit. – Instead of five, that it could be ten or 15 years, Tajik said on Politisk kvarter on Tuesday. She added that this is something the government must look into more closely, as they must assess the effects of any change. May have retroactive effect Tajiks are afraid that the rule will motivate more wealthy people to move abroad. – I am concerned that we should not have a rule that in itself can motivate someone to go out of the country, stay there for a few years, and come back with gains that they then avoid paying tax on. – If you then change this to apply for ten years, would it apply to, for example, Røkke? – In principle, tax changes can have retroactive effect, but whether it should apply to Røkke or not, I will not decide on that. There will be a very specific reasonableness assessment linked to that type of tax change, Tajik replies. See the debate on the five-year rule in Politisk kvarter. Støre: Working to close tax holes Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at the APS national board meeting that in future they will demand more from the rich, so that ordinary people can be protected in the face of rising prices. – I think it is inappropriate to have the idea that after creating great value, you move away from what is part of the joint venture that you pay the rightful tax, he told news after the speech. When asked what he is going to do about rich people moving from the country, Støre says that the government will look at the tax system. – Here there is a completely open hole that should be closed, and I am working on that. Increase in tax movers Lawyer and partner in the law firm Schjødt Cecilie Amdahl says she has noticed a marked increase in people who are interested in ways to save tax by moving abroad. – There are many times several people who are interested, and who also implement. She says that the main reason is the wealth tax, and the changes that have been made there. Lawyer and partner in the law firm Schjødt Cecilie Amdahl. Photo: Håkon Benjaminsen / news – Firstly, the tax base for wealth tax has been increased. The largest assets are in shares and companies. Then, in addition, you have increased the wealth tax rate, and thirdly, you have increased the dividend tax rate. Tax professor Guttorm Schjeldrup at NHH said yesterday that Røkke will in practice be tax-free after five years abroad, as is the rule today. He believes it is plausible to believe that Røkke is reporting a move to avoid paying tax on his wealth. Schjelderup believes that several kingdoms may come to do as Røkke in the future. – For those considering this, it is now or never. The reason is that the Tax Committee, which was appointed in December last year, will look at measures to prevent people from moving abroad to save tax. They have until 1 November to present their proposals. Frp: Doesn’t solve anything Sivert Bjørnstad (Frp) in the business committee at the Storting believes that Aps’s proposal to increase the five-year rule could lead to founders and business owners moving faster from Norway. – I don’t think Ap’s proposal solves anything, other than that it will give well-paid tax lawyers even more work, says Bjørnstad. He believes that those who move do so to protect the jobs in their companies. Bjørnstad refers to the calculation from Finansavisen, which indicates that Røkke would have had to take out NOK 612 million in dividends in order to pay both wealth tax and dividend tax in 2022. – The fundamental thing here is that something must be done with tax policy, which means that we promote Norwegian ownership, Norwegian companies, Norwegian workplaces. Not that I give a big gift package to foreign big capitalists who can come and buy up these companies in the future. SV: A hole that needs to be closed Nesteilar in SV Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes is positive that Labor will look at the tax system. – Countries such as Germany, Great Britain, France, our neighboring countries have much higher taxes on capital, so it is not to these countries that people move to. They are moving to tax havens, says Fylkesnes. He believes that Norway should have a system that ensures that even Norway’s richest contribute to the community. – If we let this continue, ordinary people will have to pay even more tax to pay for public goods. I really think people will feel that is very unfair.
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The Labor Party will consider changing the five-year rule – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
