Norway’s tax season starts on Monday, March 9th. The Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) is sending out pre-filled tax returns, but you still need to review the information before the deadline.
Over the next three weeks, about 5.3 million wage earners, pensioners, and sole proprietors will get their tax returns in batches for the 2025 financial year.
Even though the system is mostly automated, the authorities stress that the pre-filled form is not final. You are legally responsible for making sure the information is correct.
“Even if the tax return is pre-filled, there may be errors or omissions that require you to adjust or add information,” Tax Director Nina Schanke Funnemark stated in a press release. “You are responsible for checking that the figures are correct before the April 30th deadline.”
Preliminary figures show that about 2.7 million people are set to receive a tax rebate, with an average refund of 15,200 kroner. On the other hand, 1.2 million residents are expected to owe back taxes, averaging 43,200 kroner each.
However, these figures are not set in stone. Last year, nearly 300,000 more people got money back after updating their information and finding missing deductions. This shows it’s worth taking the time to review your tax return.
Skatteetaten sends out returns in waves.
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“Your tax return is not available until you receive an email or SMS from us. There is no need to log in until you receive a message,” Schanke Funnemark explained.
After you get the notification, you can log in to ‘My Page’ on the Skatteetaten website.
READ MORE: Five things to do when you get your Norwegian tax return
Commonly missed information
Certain areas of personal finance remain prone to errors because you need to enter them yourself. For example, if you bought or sold a home, invested in cryptocurrency, or have loans and bank accounts abroad, you need to add this information on your own.
“This applies to both the income that you must tax and deductions that can reduce your tax,” said the tax director.
Significant life changes from 2025 also need to be verified. As Senior Advisor, Roar Lyby told VG: “If you have changed jobs, bought a house, lost a spouse, had children start kindergarten, or transitioned from being a student to starting work—you should check if everything has been included.”
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One area where many tax payers “leave money on the table” is the travel deduction. This is not pre-filled and requires a manual calculation.
Financial expert Hallgeir Kvadsheim from Dine Penger/VG warns about a common myth regarding holiday pay (feriepenger). Some people try to remove it from their reported income, thinking it is tax-free because it is paid out in June without immediate deductions.
Kvadsheim describes this as “pure nonsense” and reminds everyone that holiday pay is fully taxable. Your employer has already reported this amount to the state, so deleting it will trigger automatic warnings and could result in penalty taxes.
Be sure to include all the deductions you qualify for. If you are not sure which ones you can claim, check the Norwegian Tax Administration’s deduction wizard.
READ MORE: Norwegian tax return: Are your deductions set to be scrutinised this year?
When will the money arrive?
After you submit your return, the time to receive your final settlement can vary. About 9 out of 10 people get their money by the summer, but complex cases or manual checks can delay it until autumn.
“There may be several reasons why your particular tax return is taking longer to process. For example, it may be that information is missing, that there are attachments that need to be processed or that you have been taken out for inspection,” explained Schanke Funnemark.
If you owe back taxes, you will get an invoice well before the payment deadline in August. But if you pay what you owe by May 31st, you can avoid paying extra interest.
Key dates to remember
March 9th – 30th: Tax returns sent out in batches. Wait for your SMS/email notification.
April 30th: Deadline for employees and pensioners to submit their tax return.
May 31st: Deadline to pay back taxes voluntarily to avoid the interest rate.
June 1st: Deadline for self-employed persons (extended from May 31st as it falls on a Sunday).
June 25th: The date by which most early applicants will receive their tax settlement.