https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/07/wealth-tax-norway-election
"It is the issue that has set the Norwegian general election alight: whether to
keep, cut or abolish the national wealth tax. As the country prepares to go to
the polls on Monday, Norway is in the grip of a ferocious national argument
that is likely to rumble on whichever party wins.
In an economy less then a seventh the size of Britain’s, the
formuesskatt
raises about 32bn kroner (£2.4bn). Multiply that by the difference in GDP, and
the same rules applied in the UK could raise more than £17bn – serious money in
tax terms. Defenders say the wealth tax has another benefit. They see it as the
cornerstone of a progressive tax system that has helped to create one of
Europe’s most equal societies.
But entrepreneurs are pushing back, financing lobbying campaigns and pouring
money into politics and online advertising. There is even a protest song.
“Don’t come to Norway, we will tax you till you’re poor, and when you have
nothing left, we will tax you a little more,” laments a business consultant in
a video posted on LinkedIn. On the other side of the divide, the leader of the
Socialist Left party has a “wall of shame” in her office displaying the names
of those who oppose or avoid the tax.
More disturbingly, the experts are under attack. Economists and statisticians
have flagged a wave of disinformation, while being subjected to hate mail and
targeted by newspapers."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
