Oppdatert 11.11.10 18:43

av Bjørn Inge Bergestuen

Online tax records promotes crime

The Norwegian Progress Party wants to prohibit the annual publication of Norwegian tax records online, because these records are used by criminals to identify wealthy individuals. - The publication must be stopped immediately, says the spokesperson on taxes, MP Christian Tybring-Gjedde. 
The time has arrived. Today and three weeks ahead, nosy Norwegians can find out online how much the neighbor, or perhaps what the boss, earns.
The Norwegian Progress Party is strongly against the publication of the tax records on the Internet, and believes that this is not just an intervention in the private sphere, but that the list also promotes crime.
- The tax records should be confidential, because putting them online cause crime, Mr. Tybring-Gjedde says.
He is referring to a police report published last year after the publication of tax records. The report showed that high-income individuals have been identified as potential crime victims by conmen and thieves, based on the online records. Tybring- Gjedde is also concerned about the possibility that the tax records may be used for different types of crimes, such as identity theft. - This is very serious, he says.  
- It is a paradox that the political parties that are against the publication of schools' grades, has an opposite view regarding the tax records. Tax records are even more personal, since they show earnings and wealth on an individual level. The government’s concern seems to be to "punish the rich”, so they simply don’t care, he continues. 
The Progress Party Parliamentary Group has just proposed to prohibit the publication of tax records.
- We want some kind of access to the tax records for specific needs like credit rating, but ordinary people don’t need this kind of access. Should the same mindset apply in other areas as well, then there should have been online listings on people on public welfare too. I doubt that anyone wish this, Tybring-Gjedde concludes. Online tax records promotes crime

The Norwegian Progress Party wants to prohibit the annual publication of Norwegian tax records online, because these records are used by criminals to identify wealthy individuals. - The publication must be stopped immediately, says the spokesperson on taxes, MP Christian Tybring-Gjedde. 

Tybring-Gjedde

The time has arrived. Today and three weeks ahead, nosy Norwegians can find out online how much the neighbor, or perhaps what the boss, earns.

The Norwegian Progress Party is strongly against the publication of the tax records on the Internet, and believes that this is not just an intervention in the private sphere, but that the list also promotes crime.

- The tax records should be confidential, because putting them online cause crime, Mr. Tybring-Gjedde says.

He is referring to a police report published last year after the publication of tax records. The report showed that high-income individuals have been identified as potential crime victims by conmen and thieves, based on the online records. Tybring- Gjedde is also concerned about the possibility that the tax records may be used for different types of crimes, such as identity theft. - This is very serious, he says.  

- It is a paradox that the political parties that are against the publication of schools' grades, has an opposite view regarding the tax records. Tax records are even more personal, since they show earnings and wealth on an individual level. The government’s concern seems to be to "punish the rich”, so they simply don’t care, he continues. 
The Progress Party Parliamentary Group has just proposed to prohibit the publication of tax records.

- We want some kind of access to the tax records for specific needs like credit rating, but ordinary people don’t need this kind of access. Should the same mindset apply in other areas as well, then there should have been online listings on people on public welfare too. I doubt that anyone wish this, Tybring-Gjedde concludes.