Worrying book on foreign workers having their taxes stolen in Norway

Vaslav New member

Member since 29 June 2012

VaslavNew member06 October 2013 07:25:07

Without buying the book, you can read samples and the book's description says it all.

"Accounts from migrant workers regarding

* Not having their tax deductions passed on to the Norwegian State by their Norwegian employers
* Being double taxed by The Norwegian State and not being refunded over paid taxes
* Having their wages "lost" by their Norwegian employers
* Difficulties accessing health care
* Lack of access to social security benefits when sick or out of work
* British workers finding they fail the Habitual Residency Test in the UK rendering them ineligible for Job Seekers Allowance or health care in their native country after being unable to access healthcare and benefits in Norway"

Why doesn't the mainstream media cover this? I'd like warning if this is what I could expect if I worked abroad.

I found the Stig Arne Jonsson case which has had very little coverage it seems.

How much research do you have to do have a chance of thriving abroad?

EDIT: You only have to look at the adverts here to show people are making a living selling healthcare, banking, business service etc. to foreigners. Once you've factored the cost of buying healthcare in case you're sick abroad (the book contains a copy of an invoice for over 拢6,000 for a week in a Norwegian hospital for a British worker who was 100% paid up with his Norwegian Social Security contributions ... that didn't matter, it was his "residency" .... tax resident in Norway but not enough to get anything for his social security deductions ... 11%)

ECS Norway Expert

Member since 21 July 2006

ECSNorway Expert06 October 2013 10:23:33

1561

based on my experience dealing with a less than standard case, it's awfully complicated to figure out where all the money is supposed to go, and the different branches of the government often don't seem to have any clue what the other offices are doing. I went to Skatteetaten three times with my contract, each time confirming all was groovy with it, and only after I'd finished all THEIR paperwork did someone say I should talk to the other tax office, Kemneren. They said they had no idea what was going on with the money on the other side so I ahd to talk to NAV. NAV didn't know for sure and I had to talk to SFU who promptly lost the query, then someone goes on vacation and they're the ONLY one who can handle this or that situation. Nobody seems to be remotely concerned with resolving problems in any sort of efficient manner.

Without an advocate who speaks Norwegian, is familiar with the system, and can write strongly worded letters to these offices, I think I would have a very difficult time indeed.

As for why it doesn't have media coverage, I think it's just not seen as an urgent matter, and it affects a very small part of the population. I know plenty of immigrants to Norway who are doing beautifully in the system and have no complaints at all. However, there has been a lot of newsflap over the situation of healthcare workers and how the credentials transfer (or don't, in the cases here), so there has been some movement toward positive change in that respect.