The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) – Broad tax investigation

The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) has initiated a broad tax investigation of the schemes and allowances for the members of Parliament (MPs). Grette is appointed to carry out the investigation. The investigation will address all tax matters that relate to the schemes and allowances available to the MPs. Among these are questions relating to the free accommodation and other benefits that MPs receive. The Parliament’s Presidium has also made the decision to investigate commuter accommodation rules, and has asked for an assessment of possible changes in the scheme for severance pay for MPs. Furthermore, there will be an investigation of individual cases to assess whether certain benefits should have been liable to income tax.

The investigation is handled by a dedicated team in Grette under the leadership of investigations specialist Jacob S. Bjønness-Jacobsen and tax specialist Anders Nordli. The investigation involves very demanding legal assessments, because several experts point out that The Norwegian Tax Administration lacks legal basis for several allegations. The matter is of high importance to the Norwegian public. Secretary General of the Norwegian Parliament states that “It is essential that the Parliament’s schemes and allowances for the MPs enable them to carry out their democratic duties. It must be possible for anyone to stand for election without incurring large additional costs. At the same time, tax must naturally be handled correctly”. The matter has received broad media attention.