Tax statement, 1999

The decline in the number of taxpayers who were assessed surtax is mainly due to the relatively large increase in the tax-free allowances from 1998 to 1999. In 1998 taxpayers in tax class 1 had to have a personal income of more than NOK 248 000 before surtax was assessed. In 1999 the tax-free allowance was raised to NOK 269 100. The corresponding increase in the tax-free allowance for persons in tax class 2 was from NOK 300 000 to NOK 318 600. Spouses with joint-taxation count as one surtax-paying taxpayer.

Although the number of surtax-paying taxpayers fell from 1998 to 1999, the total assessed surtax (before deductions and reductions) nonetheless increased. In 1998 the surtax amounted to NOK 13 161 million. In 1999 it increased to NOK 13 641 million.

NOK 196 billion in assessed taxes

Personal taxpayers were assessed a total of NOK 195.8 billion in taxes in 1999. This was NOK 11.2 billion, or 6.1 per cent, more than the year before. Just under 2 387 000 taxpayers had paid too much taxes in advance. They received NOK 17.5 billion back during the tax settlement last summer and autumn. By comparison, 702 000 taxpayers were required to pay NOK 10 billion in back taxes.

Ordinary income increased by 6 per cent ...

Ordinary income after special deductions forms the basis for calculating income taxes to municipalities and counties and the community tax to the state. Ordinary income in 1999 amounted to NOK 587 billion, an increase of 5.9 per cent since 1998. Income tax to municipalities and counties, before reductions and deductions, amounted in 1999 to NOK 89.2 billion, while the community tax came to NOK 48.8 billion.

... while net wealth increased by 10 per cent

Net wealth amounted to NOK 753 billion in 1999. This was an increase of 9.9 per cent compared with the year before. Total wealth tax, before reductions and deductions, came to NOK 6.3 billion, of which NOK 4.4 billion went to municipalities and NOK 1.9 billion to the state.

NOK 12 billion in tax deductions

Total tax deductions and reductions in 1999 came to just under NOK 12 billion, an increase of 4.2 per cent from 1998. The tax credit for received dividends came to NOK 5.3 billion or more than 44 per cent of all deductions. Another major deductions were the NOK 3.1 billion reduction in taxes for taxpayers with limited ability to pay taxes and NOK 2 billion in Parent's tax deduction. Home Investment Savings for Young People (BSU) gave people under 34 years of age a tax deduction of NOK 378 million, while Investments in Unit Trusts (AMS) gave taxpayers a tax deduction of NOK 397 million. In 1999, taxpayers in Finnmark and Nord-Troms were able to reduce their income taxes to the state by NOK 557 million through the use of the so-called Finnmark deduction.