Oslo municipality brought to court on property tax

House homesHouse. Photo. Pixabay

If the municipality requires a property tax, it must apply to most homeowners, not just a few, according to the home owners’ association.

The association has filed a group complaint against the municipality of Oslo on behalf of more than 3,500 homeowners. The case is scheduled in the District Court from Monday to Wednesday next week.

– The property tax is construed such that between 70 to 80 percent of homes are exempt.

– We believe it is not legal to have a property tax that exempt such a large proportion of properties, says, head of the judicial department, Anders Leisner.

Oslo municipality introduced a property tax in 2016. The tax exemption limit was set at NOK 4 million, thereby targeting a mere 20 percent of the households.

Leisner says no other municipalities have such a high limit. The so-called ‘Red-Green’ city council in Oslo uses the property tax to carry out a redistribution policy, but it is only the Parliament that is allowed to do that, according to the lawyer.

A political question

It is the Assistant County Attorney, Trine Riiber, who will settle the case on behalf of the municipality.

– The municipality of Oslo believes that the property tax is legally enforced, as municipalities have a great deal of discretion in the design of property tax, and that the size of the tax exemption limit is a political issue where the courts can not overrule the municipalities, Riiber told NTB.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today