Reduction of employer social contributions

The plan states that decades of tax cuts have drained welfare of hundreds of billions and that the public sector's share of the economy must instead grow through increased taxation of capital and high incomes. It explicitly prioritizes working-time reduction over tax cuts. The counter-proposal's reduced employer fees run directly counter to this.

• tax cuts hollow out welfaredecisive»De massiva skattesänkningar som genomförts av högerpartier och socialdemokrater under många år har resulterat i att det nu finns 350 miljarder mindre per år till välfärden än 1990.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The massive tax cuts carried out by right-wing parties and social democrats over many years have resulted in there now being 350 billion less per year for welfare than in 1990.”
• no to tax cuts»Vänsterpartiet tycker att det är viktigare med en arbetstidsförkortning som kommer alla till del än sänkta skatter för ett fåtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Left Party thinks it is more important with a working-time reduction that benefits everyone than tax cuts for a few.”
• public sector must grow»Vänsterpartiet menar att den offentliga sektorns andel av ekonomin« (party programme ↗)“Left Party means that the public sector's share of the economy”
• raised taxes on capital»Vänsterpartiet har en skattepolitik som ser till vilka behov som finns och där de med stora kapitaltillgångar eller höga löner får bidra mer till välfärden än de gör idag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Left Party has a tax policy that looks at what needs exist and where those with large capital assets or high wages contribute more to welfare than they do today.”

The plan establishes that resources for welfare shall increase and that large tax cuts make this impossible; the choice is explicitly between increased welfare resources and tax cuts. Reduced social contributions hollow out the financing the plan depends on, and the plan adheres to progressive taxation according to ability to pay. Therefore the counter-proposal's requirement for further reductions is rejected.

• no to large tax cutsdecisive»Vi vill fortsätta öka statens bidrag till kommuner och regioner. Stora skattesänkningar omöjliggör det.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue increasing government contributions to municipalities and regions. Large tax cuts make that impossible.”
• welfare before tax cuts»En avgörande fråga i höstens val är om vi ska fortsätta öka resurserna till välfärden, eller om stora skattesänkningar ska gå före.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A decisive question in the autumn election is whether we should continue increasing resources for welfare, or whether large tax cuts should come first.”
• tax finances welfare»Skattesystemets viktigaste uppgift är att finansiera vår välfärd och nödvändiga framtidsinvesteringar.« (party programme ↗)“The tax system's most important task is to finance our welfare and necessary future investments.”
• progressive taxation»Skatterna ska vara progressiva och tas ut efter bärkraft och välfärdstjänsterna fördelas efter behov.« (party programme ↗)“Taxes shall be progressive and levied according to ability to pay and welfare services distributed according to need.”

The party programme explicitly states that small businesses shall have lower employer contributions and less sick-pay responsibility than larger businesses, and that lower employer contributions are an important reform for increased enterprise. The counter-proposal's requirement for reduced social contributions for small businesses is thus the plan's own line, even if the plan does not share the view that a generally lower tax burden strengthens welfare.

• lower contributions for small businessesdecisive»Småföretag ska ha lägre« (party programme ↗)“Small businesses shall have lower”
• lower employer contributions»jämte lägre arbetsgivaravgifter och slopat eller« (party programme ↗)“along with lower employer contributions and stopped or”
• facilitate enterprise»Vi vill stärka möjligheterna för människor med« (party programme ↗)“We want to strengthen opportunities for people with”
• tax needed for welfare»genom skatt öka den offentliga konsumtionen på« (party programme ↗)“through tax increase public consumption of”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan explicitly promises that employer contributions shall be reduced, in a first phase for a company's first employee and for those far from the labour market, and that tax on work and business is lowered especially for small businesses. It also establishes that total tax burden must come down. The counter-proposal's position that lowered employer contributions are central to enabling more hiring is therefore the plan's own.

• reduced employer contributionsdecisive»Arbetsgivaravgiften behöver sänkas, i ett första skede för ett företags första anställda, för människor som står långt från arbetsmarknaden liksom de som har låga inkomster.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Employer contributions need to be reduced, in a first phase for a company's first employees, for people far from the labour market and those with low incomes.”
• lower tax on business»Sänk skatten på jobb och företagande, särskilt för småföretag och egenföretagare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower tax on work and business, especially for small businesses and the self-employed.”
• lower total tax burden»Det totala skattetrycket måste ner nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The total tax burden must come down next term.”
• low tax on job creation»Skattebördan på jobbskapande i företag ska göras så liten som möjligt.« (party programme ↗)“The tax burden on job creation in businesses should be made as low as possible.”

The election manifesto explicitly requires that it become easier and cheaper to hire by lowering employer contributions for small business owners and for those who want to hire young people. That is in substance what the counter-proposal seeks. The plan builds further on the fact that more business owners create more jobs and that the wealth-creating forces shall have good conditions, with reduced regulatory burden for small businesses.

• lowered employer contributionsdecisive»Därför vill vi att det ska bli enklare och billigare att anställa genom att arbetsgivaravgifterna sänks för både småföretagare och för dem som vill anställa unga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want it to become easier and cheaper to hire by lowering employer contributions for both small business owners and for those who want to hire young people.”
• business creates jobs»Fler företagare och entreprenörer skapar fler jobb och mer välstånd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More business owners and entrepreneurs create more jobs and more wealth.”
• good conditions for wealth creation»Sverige ska ha goda villkor för de välståndsbildande krafterna.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have good conditions for the wealth-creating forces.”
• reduced regulatory burden»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska« (party programme ↗)“Regulatory burden for small businesses shall decrease”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The counter-proposal means that reduced employer contributions give businesses room to hire more. The election manifesto itself contains a targeted reduction by completely removing the employer contribution from age 69, and the party programme requires that the tax system favor entrepreneurship and that future regulations be tested from a small business perspective. The plan's job and business priority therefore supports lower social contributions for small businesses.

• reduced employer contributionsdecisive»Ta samtidigt bort arbetsgivaravgiften helt från 69 år.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Simultaneously, completely remove the employer contribution from age 69.”
• taxes that favor entrepreneurship»Skattesystemet ska vara sådant att vinster kan genereras samtidigt som sparande i det egna företaget uppmuntras.« (party programme ↗)“The tax system shall be such that profits can be generated while savings in one's own business are encouraged.”
• small business perspective»Tillkommande lagar bör prövas ur ett småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Future laws should be tested from a small business perspective.”
• more jobs as priority»FLER JOBB« (2022 manifesto ↗)“MORE JOBS”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto promises to greatly lower employment costs and the cost of employing the long-term unemployed as well as to strengthen the drivers for entrepreneurship through lower taxes. The plan establishes that prosperity rests on a dynamic business sector. The counter-proposal's requirement for lower employer fees so that companies have scope to employ more directly aligns with these commitments and is supported.

• lower employment costsdecisive»Kraftigt sänka anställningskostnaderna för den som anställer nyanlända och långtidsarbetslösa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Greatly lower employment costs for those who employ newly arrived and long-term unemployed”
• cheaper to employ»Kraftigt sänka kostnaden för att anställa långtidsarbetslösa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Greatly lower the cost of employing the long-term unemployed”
• lower business taxes»Stärka drivkrafterna för investeringar, forskning och entreprenörskap, genom lägre skatter på företagande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the drivers for investment, research and entrepreneurship, through lower taxes on business”
• dynamic business sector»Sveriges välstånd bygger på ett dynamiskt och livskraftigt näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's prosperity rests on a dynamic and robust business sector.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The counter-proposal argues that reduced employer contributions are central to companies being able to hire more. The plan has as an explicit commitment to reduce employer contributions and sick pay costs for small enterprises and establishes that these costs need to be lowered. This is related to the plan's goal that it shall become easier to hire and that new business ventures shall increase.

• reduced employer contributionsdecisive»Sänka arbetsgivaravgiften och sjuklönekostnaderna för småföretag« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce employer contributions and sick pay costs for small enterprises”
• lower wage-related costs»Vidare behöver kostnader för arbetsgivaravgift och sjuklöner sänkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Furthermore, costs for employer contributions and sick pay need to be reduced.”
• easier to hire»Göra det lättare att anställa och skapa bästa förutsättningar för svensk industri« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it easier to hire and create best conditions for Swedish industry”
• strengthened new business ventures»Skapa förutsättningar för nyföretagande och entreprenörskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new business ventures and entrepreneurship”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.