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WHY SWEDES ARE OKAY WITH PAYING TAXES
https://sweden.se/society/why-swedes...-paying-taxes/
There is something odd about the Swedish Tax Agency. A whopping 83 per cent of Swedes say they have confidence in the government agency, despite Sweden’s famously high income taxes. From the cradle to the grave, the Swedish Tax Agency plays an important part in every Swede’s life. Here’s why.
A highly trusted public body
Everyone knows that Swedes pay a lot of tax; Sweden is as noted for its high personal taxes as it is for IKEA furniture and ABBA. Given that tax is a dirty word for many people around the world, you might expect that the government agency that grabs about a third of the average hard-working Swede’s pay packet would be public enemy No 1.
But the truth couldn’t be more different. Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency, is popular. In fact, it is really popular, with poll after poll showing that it is trusted and respected. A 2013 survey concluded that the Tax Agency has the second-best reputation – beaten only by the Swedish Consumer Agency – of 26 major Swedish public bodies, scoring highly for its customer service and for ‘contributing positively to society’.
‘You don’t have to like taxes, but most people seem confident that things are done fairly’, says Toivo Sjörén of market research institute TNS Sifo, which conducted the poll (link in Swedish).
By contrast its American equivalent, the Internal Revenue Service, is one of the least popular federal agencies in the United States, according to a 2013 poll.
So how has the Swedish Tax Agency managed to pull off what seems like the ultimate confidence trick – taking people’s money but leaving most of them grateful and smiling?
Swedish tax rates (2013)
Local taxes in Sweden range from 28.89 per cent (Vellinge municipality) to 34.32 per cent (Hofors municipality).
National income taxes
None on income up to SEK 413,200
20 per cent on 413,201 to 591,600
25 per cent on income over 591,600
Income from capital
30 per cent (state tax)
Corporate income tax
22 per cent
Inheritance tax was abolished in 2005.
Sources (links in Swedish): Swedish Statistics Bureau Swedish Tax Agency
From cradle to grave – literally
First, it should be pointed out that the Tax Agency does more than just collect tax. As the authority responsible for population registration (folkbokföring), it keeps track of many important events in every Swede’s life.
When a baby is born, the agency registers the birth and sends out a personal identity number. It is the Tax Agency to whom the parents then apply to register the baby’s name; yes, the Tax Agency has the power to reject their choice of name – as parents who have wanted to call their children Sickboy, Superman, Dotcom and Krank found the hard way.
When you decide to get married, between ‘will you marry me?’ and ‘I do’, there is the not-particularly-romantic matter of applying to the Tax Agency for an ‘investigation of impediments to marriage’ to prove you are eligible to tie the knot. It’s probably best not to bring this up before you pop the question.
Each time you move, you have to notify the Tax Agency of your new address within a week. And, inevitably, even in death you will be requiring its services. The doctor who declares you dead informs the Tax Agency, and your grieving relatives will need to get the ‘cremation or burial’ certificate required for the funeral from the agency before they can say their final goodbyes.
All of which seems fine to most Swedes. Their Big Brother has good intentions, and they know it. But among many, the Tax Agency’s popularity runs even deeper than that.
SEK 1 (Swedish krona)
= USD 0.15 or EUR 0.11
(February 2014)
Income tax return
For many in Sweden, submitting the income tax return only involves a couple of smartphone taps.
Photo: Ivan Arvsäter/Skatteverket
In tax we trust
A good starting point for the Tax Agency’s consistently high approval ratings is the fact that many Swedes are not naturally anti-tax. In fact, unlike in some countries where paying tax is seen as something negative, many Swedes tolerate – and even welcome – high taxes. And a growing number would accept even higher taxes to pay for a largely fair and well-functioning society, with decent public services and a universal safety net.
In fact, the Swedish word for tax – skatt – has another meaning: treasure. There can’t be many languages in which the word for tax has such positive connotations.
Besides the generally positive view towards taxes, another reason for the Tax Agency’s popularity is its accessibility and customer-friendliness. Many errands can be done electronically, which suits tech-savvy Swedes. For example, you can submit your income tax return online, by app, phone or even text message.
Those 3.6 million people who did so in 2013 were rewarded by getting their tax refunds early (link in Swedish). They shared more than SEK 30 billion in total, and received them just in time to spend them on pickled herring and schnapps for one of the highpoints of the Swedish calendar, Midsummer.
High taxes in Sweden: yes please, but give me my money’s worth from Sweden on Vimeo.