Norwegian Tax-authorities illegally skinning foreigners!
Being a Dane I had an academic career in Denmark till I got a job in Norway in 1996. I married a Norwegian colleague in 1999. In 2004 I moved to a position in London, lived there and paid tax there. In 2007 I got a position in Denmark, lived there and paid tax there. My wife, who had been living in Norway till then because of her job moved to Denmark in 2008, and we of course sold our Norwegian house then. When she in 2013 and I in 2015 moved back to Norway Hell began. The Norwegian Tax Authorities insisted that I had been living in Norway 2004-2015 in spite of that I could document that I had being living and working in other countries in that period. Thus they ignored the Norwegian 3-year clause saying that you are out of the Norwegian tax system if you and your wife have been out of Norway for at least 3 years and have not had a habitation there and have not stayed there more than 60 days per year. For the tax-year 2014 – where I according to the Norwegian legislation was clearly out of Norway I have had to pay up 50.561 NOK (about 4.600 £). Even in relation to the Danish Tax-authorities who have tried to help, the Norwegian tax-authorties have reacted with an indescribable arrogance. Are the Norwegian tax-authorities counterfactuals or are they grabbing as much tax-income possible from foreigners on an illegal basis, who then get into a frustrating squeeze between different countries? If you consider applying for a job in Norway for a period, give it an extra thought as this is not a single case of the kind according to tax experts.