Visible Taxes and Fees

The plan's tax policy premise is that tax revenue must be secured and increased for those with large capital assets, and it describes massive tax cuts as the reason for underfunding welfare. It also opposes resources going to forms and administration instead of to services. The counter-proposal's demand for statutory disclosure of taxes and fees per individual adds administration and puts tax burden in focus, which does not follow from the plan's commitments; the transparency the plan values instead rests on trust and a general welfare system.

• protect the tax basedecisive»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 and social democratic parties over many years have resulted in there now being 350 billion less per year for welfare than in 1990.”
• less administration»Det är resurser som främst behövs, inte formulär för kvalitetssäkring, nya bokningssystem för sjukhussängar eller ännu en managementkonsult som inte kan något om verksamheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is resources that are primarily needed, not forms for quality assurance, new booking systems for hospital beds or yet another management consultant who knows nothing about the operations.”
• transparency through general welfare»Ett generellt välfärdssystem baserat på tillit till medborgarna ger en effektiv administration samt stor överblick och insyn.« (party programme ↗)“A general welfare system based on trust in citizens provides efficient administration and great overview and transparency.”

The plan's basic view is that welfare is paid jointly and in solidarity, and that the tax system's task is to finance welfare with resources that remain there. No commitment to individual accounting of taxes and fees exists. The election manifesto moreover warns that conditions should lead to more bureaucracy instead of activity, which speaks against a new statutory information requirement. The conclusion is derived and uncertain.

• joint solidary financingdecisive»Och självklart betalar vi gemensamt för okända medmänniskors förlossning, strålbehandling och insulinsprutor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“And of course we pay together for unknown fellow citizens' childbirth, radiation therapy and insulin injections.”
• tax finances welfare»Skattesystemets viktigaste uppgift är att finansiera vår välfärd« (party programme ↗)“The tax system's most important task is to finance our welfare”
• avoid increased bureaucracy»Villkor ska ställas så att pengarna till välfärden verkligen går till dess medarbetare – inte mer byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Conditions should be set so that money for welfare really goes to its employees – not more bureaucracy.”
• tax funds remain in welfare»En grundprincip ska vara att de skattemedel som tillförs välfärden« (party programme ↗)“A basic principle shall be that tax funds allocated to welfare”

The plan does not address reporting of taxes on pay slips or annual summaries. The closest related principle is the party programme's requirement for accessible information in a participatory democracy, that citizens should always be able to scrutinize power and that the principle of public access should be protected and strengthened, which speaks in favor of greater transparency about tax collection. At the same time, the programme warns against unnecessary bureaucracy, which makes the conclusion uncertain.

• accessible informationdecisive»En deltagande demokrati kräver lättillgänglig information« (party programme ↗)“A participatory democracy requires accessible information”
• transparency in the exercise of power»Medborgarna ska alltid kunna granska makten.« (party programme ↗)“Citizens should always be able to scrutinize power.”
• public access and transparency»Offentlighetsprincipen och meddelarfriheten måste värnas och stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access and freedom to report must be protected and strengthened.”
• avoid unnecessary administration»Onödig byråkrati ska undvikas genom ett aktivt regelförenklingsarbete.« (party programme ↗)“Unnecessary bureaucracy should be avoided through active deregulation efforts.”

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 plan sees taxation as a restriction of people's self-determination and wants to lower the total tax burden, which presupposes that the individual sees what she pays in. The plan also wants Sweden to become even more transparent. At the same time, the plan wants to clear out unnecessary regulations, which speaks against new reporting requirements for employers, which is why the assessment is uncertain.

• tax limits self-determinationdecisive»Beskattning begränsar dock människors självbestämmande« (party programme ↗)“Taxation does, however, limit people's self-determination”
• increased transparency»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become even more transparent.”
• lower tax burden»Det totala skattetrycket måste ner nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The total tax burden must come down next term.”
• avoid new regulatory burden»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clear out unnecessary regulations for entrepreneurs, large and small.”

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 plan requires that tax policy be as simple and transparent as possible and that tax levels be easy to understand, and that there be a clear link between benefits and paid premiums. Clearer disclosure of taxes and social fees on payslips and in an annual summary per individual is precisely such transparency. However, the plan's demand for reduced regulatory burden for small businesses pulls in the other direction.

• simple and transparent tax policydecisive»Skattepolitiken ska gynna de välståndsbildande krafterna, vara så enkel och transparent som möjligt och« (party programme ↗)“Tax policy should favor the wealth-creating forces, be as simple and transparent as possible and”
• easy-to-understand taxes»Sveriges skattenivåer ska vara konkurrenskraftiga och lättförståeliga för att uppmuntra till företagande, utbildning och investeringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's tax levels shall be competitive and easy to understand to encourage entrepreneurship, education and investment.”
• link between fee and benefit»Det ska finnas ett tydligt samband mellan förmåner och inbetalade premier.« (party programme ↗)“There shall be a clear link between benefits and paid premiums.”
• reduced regulatory burden»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska, genom ansträngningar på både kommunal, statlig och europeisk« (party programme ↗)“The regulatory burden for small businesses shall decrease, through efforts at municipal, national and European”

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 plan's stated ambition is that the tax system shall be transparent and ethically legitimate and perceived as reasonable by citizens, which supports the requirement for clearer disclosure of taxes and fees. The plan also emphasizes that decision-making processes shall be transparent so that accountability can be held. That the plan at the same time wants to counteract bureaucracy and test new laws from a small business perspective makes support for a statutory obligation more conditional.

• transparent tax systemdecisive»Strävan måste därför vara att skattesystemet är transparent« (party programme ↗)“The ambition must therefore be that the tax system is transparent”
• transparency and accountability»Beslutsprocessen måste vara överblickbar för medborgarna och därmed ge möjlighet att utkräva ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“The decision-making process must be transparent to citizens and thereby provide the possibility of holding accountability.”
• counteract regulatory burden»regler ska motverkas. Direkta företagssubventioner avvisas. Tillkommande lagar bör prövas ur ett småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“regulations shall be counteracted. Direct business subsidies are rejected. New laws should be tested from a small business perspective.”

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 counter-proposal's mechanism is new reporting and accounting obligations for employers and businesses, while the plan's stated commitment is to remove one-third of companies' administrative costs and regulatory red tape. The plan's chosen path to make taxation relief noticeable is lower taxes and a tax-hike cap, not expanded reporting obligations. The commitment to combat public waste and respect taxpayers' money pulls in the opposite direction and makes the assessment less certain.

• reduced administrative burdendecisive»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one-third of companies' administrative costs and one-third of regulatory red tape”
• lower tax before reporting requirements»Införa ett skattehöjarstopp under den kommande mandatperioden som innebär att de samlade skatterna inte höjs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a tax-hike cap during the coming term of office which means that combined taxes are not raised”
• respect for taxpayers' money»Offentligt slöseri i alla former ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Public waste in all forms shall be combated.”

The plan wants to increase transparency and the possibility of accountability and states that taxpayers have the right to expect value for the substantial portion of income that goes to the public sector. A clearer statement of taxes and fees on pay slips and in an annual compilation serves that transparency. The plan's demand for reduced administrative burden for businesses simultaneously sets a limit.

• increased transparencydecisive»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official responsibility shall be introduced and measures shall be implemented to increase transparency and the ability to demand political accountability.”
• taxpayers' oversight»Sveriges skattebetalare har rätt att förvänta sig en större utväxling av den stora andel av inkomsterna som betalas till det offentliga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's taxpayers have the right to expect greater value for the substantial portion of income paid to the public sector.”
• responsibility for tax funds»Politiker har ett ansvar gentemot medborgarna att deras hårt förvärvade pengar används effektivt och inte slösas bort.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Politicians have a responsibility to citizens that their hard-earned money is used effectively and not wasted.”
• reduced administrative burden»Verka för regelförenkling och avlasta småföretagens administrativa börda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Promote regulatory simplification and reduce the administrative burden on small businesses”