The trade union deduction will be NOK 10,000 if the Labor Party is allowed to continue in government. That’s what Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) promises. Members of unions in Norway can thus receive a tax relief of up to NOK 2200, if the proposal from the Ap is implemented. “It’s going to be felt in people’s finances, because they are left with more,” says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap). – And then there is an investment in people organizing, he continues. This is how it works what is the tax return? It is the information the tax authorities have about how much you have earned and how big a deduction you have. The information determines how much revenue you will pay taxes. You can e.g. Get a deduction for interest on loans, for travel expenses to and from work and thus for what you pay to be a member of a trade union. What is the trade union deduction? It is part of what you pay in a fee to be a member of a trade union – the membership fee – which can be deducted from your income in the tax return. What is the reason for the trade union deduction? The scheme has been introduced to make it more attractive to enroll in a trade union. The task of the unions is to work for your rights. The trade union quota will be an expense you have to secure your rights. Part of this bill takes the state by reducing your tax by 22%.What do I have to do to get the trade union deduction? Most people don’t have to do anything. The trade union quota is most often deducted automatically from the salary each month. At the end of the year, your employer sends information on wages and deductions to the Tax Administration, which fills it into the tax return. Those who pay the quota directly to the trade union must even put the amount into the tax return. How much can I deduct? In 2024 you could deduct a maximum of NOK 8,000 if you were a member of a trade union all year. This year is a maximum of NOK 8250. And how much lower tax can I get? The tax is reduced by 22% of the maximum deduction. If you paid NOK 8,000 or more last year, the tax will be NOK 1760 lower. If the maximum deduction should be raised to NOK 10000, you can get up to NOK 2200 in lower taxes. Conflict reducing- The fact that people are members of a trade union is hugely important, says Minister of Labor and Inclusion Tonje Brenna to news. It provides security for workers and is conflicting conflict, she believes. Equally, it is essential that companies are also organized in their organizations, Brenna continues. – This is a clear promise into the next parliamentary period. The deduction has increased in recent years. Now they will be increased more if Ap gets what they want. Photo: Håkon Benjaminsen / news has increased before the Labor Party has previously increased the deduction several times. When the party came into government in 2021, the deduction increased from NOK 3850 to NOK 5800. For this year, the deduction is NOK 8250. So the party will now increase the deduction further. – Not everyone is a trade union. Some might say that there are other things you would rather spend the money on? – We think it is a very good investment for society, says Støre. – It is a kind of insurance for working life, Tonje Brenna adds. – You know that there is someone who cares for you the day you need it. Both the Right and the Frp will cut the deduction, the prime minister claims. – There is a clear choice between what we should focus on as a community and what we should cut down on. Right disagree Henrik Asheim is the deputy leader of the Right. He says the party would rather reduce the income tax for everyone than increase the union deduction. – I think that for people who look at their monthly budget every month, it is equally important to get a lower income tax than to get a deduction just for those who happen to be members of a trade union, says Asheim. Rather, the deputy leader of the Right Henrik Asheim would prioritize lower income tax than higher deductions for trade unions. Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / news – but this deduction encourages people to organize themselves, and isn’t that good? – Yes, it is very good that people organize themselves, but what we have seen is that even if they have increased the trade union deduction, no more has organized, says Asheim. – Why do you think the Labor Party is coming with this now? -I think they do this precisely because it is a requirement from the trade union movement, and not least especially LO, who pays for a lot of the election campaign to the Labor Party, says the right-wing leader. He promises that the trade union deduction will be retained, also with a bourgeois government. Would rather have tax cuts Frp is also not very satisfied with the AP proposal. – For us, this seems to be an attempt to attract votes by using taxpayers’ money. That’s what Hans Andreas Limi says. He is a fiscal spokesperson and 1st Deputy Chair of Frp. He points out that membership in a trade union is up to each individual and that many are not organized. – That is why we think it is much better to let everyone retain a larger part of their income by reducing the income tax in addition to reducing the fees, says Limi. Published 01.05.2025, at. 07.00
ttn-69
