Tax Returns

Today most personal Norwegian tax returns are due. For a few years now, we’ve had pre-filled forms. The tax authorities expand their domain of knowledge for every year. They tell us that their knowing about our financial privacy without our reporting it makes it simpler for us.

Isn’t this new order wonderful? We have historically high tax levels. We have the database state, and we have our neighbors to report on us, because “we” are the government. Isn’t it wonderful?

Norwegian tax payers have now been promised an option – in the not so distant future – of not returning the tax returns if they do not have any amendments, while retaining the responsibility of errors – even in the tax payer’s favor. What a gorgeous concept?

The government knows so much about our personal economy – with the reporting duties of banks and other institutions – that it doesn’t need us to report. What a gorgeous world?

The government wants the tax man to do other things than process tax returns. What a gorgeous world? Didn’t Will Rogers say that we should be thankful that we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for – for a very good reason?

There have been some protests against the proposed arrangement of no return, but I have seen no serious public debate about the issues of the government knowing so much or the need for the tax man to do something more “useful.”

We are so free! We can elect our rulers. Oh yes! We are so free!