– Do I have to tear this down to be believed? Trine Fossum lives in Mjøndalen and pays her taxes like all dutiful citizens do. But for the past three years, the tax authorities have wanted to charge Fossum for the asset value of a secondary home she is supposed to have on her plot – that is, in addition to the house she actually has on the plot. According to the authorities and the tax equation, this secondary home has a value of NOK 5.4 million. The fact is that Fossum does not have an extra house on its property. – No. There is a small playroom of four square meters in the garden, says Fossum excitedly. The playhouse was placed in a corner of the garden in 2014. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news According to the Swedish Tax Agency, the secondary home must have been built in 1980 and have a living area of 189 square metres. How these figures have suddenly appeared in the tax equation remains a mystery to Fossum. – No. It’s not good to say. Something magical has happened with the municipal merger, because the playroom has been there since 2014. And there hasn’t been any problem before, Fossum replies. Wealth tax 1) Wealth tax is a tax that is determined on the basis of your net worth. 2) The net worth determines how much wealth tax must be paid to the municipality and the state. 3) Valuation discounts are calculated automatically in the tax return. The valuation discount only covers assets that are owned directly by the person who is liable for tax. 4) Such assets can, for example, be your primary residence, a secondary residence, shares, operating assets, including commercial property. (Source: Swedish Tax Agency) Making a swing room out of a playroom In its time, the playhouse was set up as, precisely, a playhouse for children, Fossum explains. The playhouse in the garden is constantly increasing in value from year to year. Photo: Privat The children have now outgrown the house, and the four square meters today serve as storage space for lawnmowers, car parts and various garden tools. – I have called the Mapping Authority, the municipality and the Tax Agency, tried to find out why this appeared in the first place. Told that I don’t have a secondary home, and that they have to sort this out. In response, she received that “This was strange. We understand that this is not true. We must rectify that”. Today, the playroom is used as storage space. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news Just as magically, it reappears in the equation, year after year. – And every year I have to change this in the tax return, Fossum says. The Tax Agency apologizes Drammen municipality has checked the property register and confirms to news that only one building is registered on the property. When asked what has happened, department director Elisabeth Fischer in the Tax Agency’s information management division replies as follows: Elisabeth Fischer at the Tax Agency. Photo: Baard Brinchmann Loevvig – There could be several reasons why this could happen and we cannot know for sure why this has suddenly appeared. Fischer notes that the Swedish Tax Agency does not comment on individual cases due to the duty of confidentiality and adds that “not all changes are captured by the Swedish Tax Agency’s property register automatically, and that these must therefore be done manually”. – If we have been contacted and told that it should be sorted out, but it has not been done, we just have to apologize for it. Of course we should have done that, she concludes. Fossum is excited about whether the home will appear in the equation next year as well. – Have you submitted a complaint? – No, I thought it was enough to call and say that I don’t have a big house in the garden. The playhouse is standing there and growing in value. But right now I mostly want to just burn it down, she says and can’t help but laugh at it all.
ttn-69
The tax authorities believe this playhouse in Mjøndalen is worth NOK 5.4 million – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
