An Saoi: Thanks to this article on the BBC’s website, I have wasted hours of my own and my employer’s time looking at the tax returns of the rich and famous of Norway. I was able to do this because the Norwegians publish the income returns of all. For example, a Mr. Tore Lie tops the list in 2008 with an income of 101,870,780 NOK or about €12M and he paid 34,164,782 NOK or say €4M in tax. Anyone with a bit of basic Norwegian can read all about him here.
For those with an interest in football, Steffen Iversen - formerly of Tottenham Hotspur and now with Rosenborg Trondheim - earned a mere 5.2M NOK about €600,000 and paid nearly half of it in tax.
Fascinating as the details are, does publishing the information do any good? Or is really just a way of satisfying idle curiosity? Personally I am in favour, but consider the whining farmers made about the publication of their social welfare payments from Dept of Agriculture! Perhaps Ms. Burton should propose it as an amendment in the forthcoming Finance Bill? Any views?
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