Tax officials reprimanded with reward

Two tax executives facing civil suits are rewarded with huge bonuses, as is a key player in ‘Taxgate’

You reap what you sow, or at least so the idiom goes. But when it comes to Denmark's top tax officials, the evidence appears to be pointing to the contrary.

 

Despite two tax executives being criticised for their illegal handling of various tax matters and having civil suits filed against them, the officials have been rewarded with large bonuses based on their "exceptional" efforts in the 2012 tax year, the tabloid BT revealed.

 

According to BT, the bonuses were paid out in April of this year, following an evaluation of the officials' work in the 2012 tax year. Deputy chief executive Preben Buchholtz Hansen of the now closed-down ØkoKrim, which focused on economic crime, received a 67,000 kroner bonus for 2012, an increase of 28,000 compared to his bonus in 2011. Marie Raavig, then former director of Skat Nordsjælland, received 60,000 kroner, 15,000 more than the year prior. She was heavily involved in Skat's criticised handling of former Pandora tycoon Jesper 'Kasi' Nielsen. 

 

Also receiving a large bonus was Erling Andersen, who as the director of Skat Copenhagen played a key role in 'Taxgate', the illegal leak of PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt's personal tax audit. Andersen received a 91,000 kroner bonus, which is 33,100 kroner more than his 2011 bonus.

 

READ MORE: Tax authority shake up after damning report

 

Tax minister wants an explanation
The decision to reward the officials is being scrutinised.

 

"ØkoKrim was abolished because the division was far too aggressive and neglected due process for the sake of bringing money in," Thomas Rønfeldt, an associate professor and PhD in tax law at Aalrbog University, told BT. "Simultaneously, the executive gets a bonus for the job well done in scraping together funds for the public purse. It just goes to show a lack of principle in the bonus scheme." 

 

The tax minister, Holger K Nielsen (Socialistisk Folkeparti), who in June said he expected Skat to "clean up where it is needed" following an ombudsman's report that condemned Skat's tactics in investigating suspected fraud, said he wanted an explanation for the bonuses. 

 

"It is not me, but rather Skat management that assesses what its officials should receive in bonuses, but I will ask Skat's director general [Jesper Rønnow Simonsen] for an explanation of what's up and what's down here," Nielsen told BT. "I would also point out that I recently began work on looking at how the top officials in the ministry and Skat are paid."

TOP STORIES

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

  • Jacob Mark had it all coming in rising SF party – now he quits

    Jacob Mark had it all coming in rising SF party – now he quits

    SF became Denmark’s largest party in the EP elections in June. In polls, the left-wing party is breathing down Socialdemokratiet’s neck. It is a tremendous place to be next in line in Danish politics. But today, 33-year-old Jacob Mark announced he is quitting politics at the threshold of the door of power.

  • EU leaders toughen stance on return of irregular migrants

    EU leaders toughen stance on return of irregular migrants

    EU leaders agreed last week to speed up returns of migrants irregularly entering the bloc. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is pleased, describing Denmark’s previous attempts to pitch a stricter asylum and migration policy to the EU as “like shouting into an empty handball hall in Jutland”. But not all leaders are enthusiastic.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs