It shows the basis for employer’s tax which has been adjusted upwards, according to the Swedish Tax Agency. Several of the lawyers who represent representatives of the Storting believe that the politicians should complain. One of them is tax lawyer Torbjørn Stokke, who has assisted more than 10 representatives of the Storting. – The last word has not been said, he believes. He has already had contact with two of the representatives who have signaled that they are considering appealing the Tax Agency’s decision. – They should do that. The agency’s understanding of the rules is poorly founded, he says to news. SMK also has to pay In a press release from SMK it says that they have to pay back NOK 195,889. – In the advance warning, the Tax Agency believed that SMK had paid NOK 353,495 too little in employer’s tax. In the decision, the Tax Agency has reduced the sum to NOK 195,889. In the decision, SMK will not be subject to additional tax, the press release states. SMK will now thoroughly review the decision, they write on their pages. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) calls the tax claim against 38 politicians too serious following the Tax Agency’s inspection of the commuter housing cases. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB – It is very serious. We depend on trust in the politicians and trust that schemes that use the community’s money are within and in line with the regulations, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) to NTB. The regulations must become so easy to understand that there will be no more such cases, says Støre. He will not answer whether SMK and the Storting have misunderstood the regulations. At the same time, the Swedish Tax Agency admits that their guide is not precise enough: Director of Taxation Nina Schanche Funnemark tells news that they will review their guide after the decisions are made. – We see that we have not been precise enough on certain points. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to clarify it, says the director. Should the tax amount to an extra 8.7 million, the Norwegian Tax Agency has now made a decision to change and increase the employer’s contribution for the Storting and the Prime Minister’s office, and increased tax for a total of 33 politicians. In addition, five politicians have received increased income, without this resulting in changes to the basis for employer’s tax. In total, there are decisions in 40 cases, including the two employers. The tax authority believes the politicians should have been taxed by 8.7 million more than what was stated in the commuter housing cases. news first wrote that the politicians should have taxed 8.7 million more. The correct thing is that they should be taxed by an extra 8.7 million. – New information about the facts has led to changes in the decisions. It is not unusual in control cases, says tax director Nina Schanke Funnemark. Tax director Nina Schanke Funnemark. Photo: Andreas A. Vatnøy, Swedish Tax Agency 290 allocations have been checked, and 252 of these do not receive changes in tax or employer’s contribution. The Norwegian Tax Agency notified the Storting’s administration and the Prime Minister’s office in December last year about the control of the allocation of commuter housing. Both the employers and politicians are controlled. The Director of Taxation says in the press release that individual cases are difficult, and that there may be borderline cases. – In each specific case, we assess the facts against the regulations. We have not changed our principled view of the commuter regulations, but clarified our understanding in certain areas, says Nina Schanke Funnemark. Commuter housing notifications The Norwegian Tax Agency has checked the allocation of top politicians’ commuter housing in the period 2017–2020. This resulted in notices of additional tax claims to 28 Storting politicians and 17 former government politicians who have had commuter homes without paying enough tax. Tax demands have been sent to Storting politicians, ministers, state secretaries and political advisers. There may be politicians who have gone from the Storting to the government and are thus on both lists. The following politicians have confirmed that they have been notified: * Tina Bru (H), Storting representative and deputy leader of the Conservative Party * Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes (SV), Storting representative and deputy leader of the SV * Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp), Minister of Justice, elected to the Storting * Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H), former minister and representative of the Storting * Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap), Minister of Culture and elected to the Storting * Maria Alseth (Frp), former political adviser to Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) * Freddy André Øvstegård (SV), representative of the Storting * Mona Fagerås (SV), representative of the Storting * Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (H), former minister and representative of the Storting * Stine Samland (Frp), former deputy representative Several of the relevant politicians believe that the cause of the tax shock is incorrect guidance from the Storting or SMK, or that the reporting from the institutions until the authorities have been wrong. Because the politicians have not paid tax on their commuter homes, the Storting and the Prime Minister’s office have also paid too little employer’s tax, the Tax Agency believes. They are now notifying demands for repayment of this. On top of this, the Norwegian Tax Agency has also notified the Storting and the Prime Minister’s office of an additional tax of 20 per cent. This as punishment for evading tax on the basis of incorrect or incomplete information. On 29 August it became clear that both the Storting and the Prime Minister’s office dispute the tax notice. They believe that the tax authorities have had unclear rules and provided inadequate guidance. SOURCE: NTB/Aftenposten/news Trettebergstuen: – Sour money Minister for Culture and Equality Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) confirms to news that she has received a decision on increased salary in the years in question, and must pay extra tax. It should be a question of a claim of just under NOK 100,000, says the minister. CLAIM RECEIVED: Anette Trettebergstuen confirms that she must pay extra tax. Photo: William Jobling / news – It is sour money given that I have actually tried to tax the benefit of the commuter housing, she says. She believes the Storting has made a mistake when reporting. – But right is right and I will of course pay without making a fuss, she says. Former Labor and Social Affairs Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H) must also pay. He receives a penalty tax for the commuter accommodation, writes Aftenposten. – This is very unpleasant. I can have good explanations here, but this is my responsibility, he says to the newspaper. The President of the Storting: – Up to every single Storting, additional tax has also been imposed by the Swedish Tax Agency following the commuter housing cases, news can confirm. The claim is for NOK 38,815, and is linked to seven of the specific cases that the Tax Agency has investigated. Storting President Masud Gharahkhani (Ap) says that it is now natural for the presidency to meet. – This is a final decision from the Swedish Tax Agency. But I just got it, so I haven’t had time to look at the details. But it is natural that we have a meeting in the presidency and that we have a meeting with the parliamentary leaders, says Gharahkhani to news. Storting President Masud Gharahkhani during the opening of the 167th Storting earlier this year. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB It has not been decided when the meeting will be held. – Would you like to encourage parliamentary representatives to be open about this? – The presidency must deal with the guidance it has received. It is up to each individual to make such a decision. Some have done and some have not. But from the Storting’s side, we will make public what we can make public, he says. Asking politicians with tax claims to come forward – I hope all politicians who have received final tax claims against them are collegial enough to come forward, says the Progress Party’s parliamentary representative Roy Steffensen to news. Storting representative Roy Steffensen (Frp) believes that the politicians who have received tax claims should come forward. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB – Otherwise it ends up that we are all in the spotlight of the voters and the media. We all become suspects, he says. Steffensen says Norwegian politics stands with “both feet firmly planted in a crisis of reputation”. CRITICAL: Bjørnar Moxnes believes that the Storting and SMK have assigned themselves an “activist role” in dealing with the commuter housing issue. Photo: Cicilie S. Andersen / news Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes believes that the Storting and the Prime Minister’s office should follow up on the Tax Agency’s decision as soon as possible. – This is a tax scandal. We cannot have a class of politicians with special privileges, as this case shows that we have had in practice, says Moxnes.
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