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| 'Tax porn' site reveals the riches Online database now includes Svalbard; questions of privacy vs. openness arise worldwide If your name is Terje or Marit, there's a good chance you're well off. Such details about Norway's citizens are available using an online database showing their annual income, taxes paid and overall wealth. Residents living in Svalbard, who initially showed up as zeroes in each category, are now part of the list. The database has generated headlines worldwide and is controversial among Norwegians as well, with a 2007 survey by the research group Synovate indicating 32 percent wanted the tax list published and 46 percent were opposed. Advocates in Norway and abroad say it enhances transparency, an essential quality for an open democracy. The tax list exemplifies a time-tested, distinctly Scandinavian custom of egalitarianism, said Christine Ingebritsen, a professor at the University of Washington, in an interview with The Associated Press. ''This is how you make sure that you're being legitimate in the eyes of the community -- you show that the wealth of a CEO isn't off the charts,'' she said, adding that unlike the U.S., Norway ''places the wealth and health of all as a priority above the individual success stories.'' Some opponents argue the list is "tax porn" for people checking on neighbors and co-workers. Other detractors argue it's dangerous because it allows criminals to target the wealthy and causes social stigmas for low earners. The information was available to the media until a more conservative government banned the practice in 2004. Three years later, a new, more liberal government reversed the legislation and allowed such information to be published online, allowing lists to be generated about practicalities and oddities such as what names have the highest income. The database – in Norwegian but readable in other languages using Google Translate – is at http://tjenester.skatteetaten.no. Longyearbyen residents can also see a printout of Svalbard residents on the first floor of the post office/bank building. Most other Europeans, including residents of Britain, Italy and the Netherlands, "would be horrified at such a setup," according to an AP analysis. The Spanish government recently released information on how much each Cabinet member is worth, but data on ordinary citizens is still private. In Sweden the public can access the Taxation Calendar, listing the earnings of people in mid- to upper-income brackets, although Swedes whose financial information has been searched are notified by mail about who checked their details. |
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