38 politicians received tax demands after commuter housing revelations. Now one of the lawyers explains what some of them went bankrupt and warns that there will be complaints about the decisions.
– Our recommendation to customers is to challenge negative decisions relating to the so-called additional cost condition.
The condition is that you must have expenses in your place of residence to obtain tax-free accommodation in your place of work.
– We believe that the Revenue Agency does not have sufficient authority for its understanding of this condition in the law, says tax lawyer Torbjørn Stokke to VG.
It represents several politicians who were taxed after the commuter housing revelations. Customers sat in both the Storting and the government.
– The Tax Appeal Board could make principled decisions in these cases, he adds.
Tax authorities investigated 290 politicians following the commuter housing scandal. 38 must pay more taxes, while both the Storting and the Prime Minister must pay an additional employer tax. The Storting president understands that several politicians are angry.
Don’t commute
Stokke now explains why the Swedish Tax Agency investigated several clients and what the additional tax decisions apply:
– A number of customers have violated commuting conditions, says Stokke.
- The regulations required that people must live 40 kilometers away from the Storting when they are selected to receive commuter accommodation.
- But like VG revealed This winter, several elected representatives actually lived their lives in Oslo for several years before being elected by another county. Some sold their homes, others had apartments that they let go and moved into taxpayer-covered commuter housing.
Stokke will not say who has received a tax blow for those conditions. Several VGs contacted did not respond to our requests.
– There will be individual assessments on whether to appeal. We don’t believe the Revenue Agency has a wrong understanding of the law in these cases, so here the facts of the case will determine our advice to clients, says Stokke.
– What are these cases about?
– A frequent occurrence in these cases are students from other parts of the country who lived in Oslo before entering the Storting and getting a commuter apartment. While they lived in Oslo, many worked in their political organization and earned money before they were elected. Some even studied less while they worked. So the Revenue Agency now believes they have actually lived in Oslo over the years and not at home with their parents where they were registered in the population register, Stokke says.
He owned his own house in Oslo
– Therefore, the agency considers that they were not resident in the place of residence at the time of taking up the assignment and therefore were not entitled to commuter accommodation.
– Some of these also bought and owned housing in Oslo at the time they were elected or took office as elected representatives and received commuter housing, says Stokke.
Many have publicly confirmed that they have received a fiscal blow. These include, among other things Sveinung Rotevatn (V)Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H) e Annette Trettebergstuen (Ap).
