Earned income tax credit

The plan rejects tax cuts that benefit a few and demands a simple, stable, and solidarity-based tax system. It establishes that the sick, unemployed, and pensioners must have the same right to good lives as the working and calls the right's idea that performance is forced through worse conditions a flawed logic. That the earning tax credit's gap between income categories should be removed and work-based income taxed equally follows from that.

• equal conditions for sick and workingdecisive»Barn, sjuka och arbetslösa måste självklart ha samma rätt som arbetande människor att ha goda liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Children, sick people and unemployed people must of course have the same right as working people to have good lives.”
• no to tax cuts for a few»Vänsterpartiet tycker att det är viktigare med en arbetstidsförkortning som kommer alla till del än sänkta skatter för ett fåtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party thinks it is more important with a reduction in working hours that benefits everyone than tax cuts for a few.”
• simple and solidarity-based tax system»arv och höga inkomster. Vi vill se ett enkelt, stabilt och solidariskt« (party programme ↗)“inheritance and high incomes. We want to see a simple, stable and solidarity-based”
• rejects the labour supply argument»Det är en haltande logik och en politik som skapar konflikter och misstro mellan människor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is a flawed logic and a policy that creates conflicts and distrust between people.”

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 builds tax policy on progressive and equalizing taxation according to ability to pay and guards pensioners and sick-listed individuals whose economy has been hollowed out. A tax gap between different work-based incomes that favors the highest incomes contradicts that principle. The demand for uniform taxation of work-based income is therefore in line with the plan.

• progressive taxation according to abilitydecisive»Progressiv och utjämnande beskattning efter bärkraft.« (party programme ↗)“Progressive and equalizing taxation according to ability to pay.”
• respect for those who have worked»Pensionerna ska höjas. Det är en fråga om respekt för dem som har jobbat, byggt upp vårt land och lagt grunden för vår gemensamma välfärd – och det är avgörande för jämställdheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Pensions must be raised. It is a matter of respect for those who have worked, built our country and laid the foundation for our common welfare – and it is decisive for equality.”
• protect security systems»Våra förbättringar av trygghetssystemen står på spel i höstens val – och vi slår vakt om principen att den som är för sjuk för att arbeta ska kunna lita på sjukförsäkringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our improvements to the security systems are at stake in the autumn election – and we guard the principle that those who are too ill to work can rely on sickness insurance.”
• reduced class gaps»Undanröjda klassklyftor.« (party programme ↗)“Removed class gaps.”

The party programme explicitly states that income from work and income from social security should be taxed equally, which is exactly what the counter-proposal demands when it wants to eliminate the tax gap between types of income. The plan furthermore states that the tax system should counteract a class society and that those with the most money should contribute more, which argues against a deduction that benefits the highest incomes the most. The counter-proposal's demand thereby falls within the plan's commitment.

• uniform taxation of incomedecisive»Inkomster från arbete och inkomster från trygghetssystem ska beskattas lika.« (party programme ↗)“Income from work and income from social security should be taxed equally.”
• equitable tax system»Skattesystemet ska motverka ett klassamhälle genom att utjämna de ekonomiska klyftorna, samtidigt som det säkrar en långsiktig finansiering av välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“The tax system should counteract a class society by reducing economic inequality, while securing long-term financing of welfare.”
• the richest contribute more»att de med mest pengar, som också orsakar större utsläpp, ska bidra mer till omställningen och välfärden genom en progressiv beskattning av kapital.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that those with the most money, who also cause greater emissions, should contribute more to the transition and welfare through progressive taxation of capital.”

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 election manifesto's central promise is to lower the tax on work and business and not to participate in tax increases that harm jobs. To ultimately tax work-based incomes equally by dismantling the difference means in practice a higher tax on work, which goes directly against this. The party programme also wants to make the tax scale less steep so that effort is not punished.

• no job-harming tax increasesdecisive»Vi kommer inte att medverka till några skattehöjningar som skadar jobben, det egna sparandet eller gör det dyrare att bo.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We will not participate in any tax increases that harm jobs, personal savings or make housing more expensive.”
• lower tax on work»Sänk skatten på jobb och företagande, särskilt för småföretag och egenföretagare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the tax on work and business, especially for small businesses and self-employed.”
• tax should not punish work»Därför måste skatteskalan göras mindre brant, så att den inte bestraffar ansträngningar och utveckling« (party programme ↗)“Therefore the tax scale must be made less steep, so that it does not punish effort and development”
• it shall be worthwhile to work»Det ska löna sig att jobba och bidra till vår gemensamma välfärd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall be worthwhile to work and contribute to our common welfare.”

The election manifesto promises a new broad job tax credit and continued reduced marginal taxes to strengthen the work line, and the party programme establishes that it should pay better to work. The counter-proposal's demand that taxation of various work-based incomes over time shall be equalized means in practice that the job tax credit is dismantled, which the plan rejects. The plan meets the difference to pensioners through reduced tax on pension, not through increased tax on work.

• new broad job tax creditdecisive»För att stärka arbetslinjen och hushållens ekonomi i ett oroligt ekonomiskt läge vill vi skyndsamt genomföra ett nytt brett jobbskatteavdrag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To strengthen the work line and household economy in a turbulent economic situation we want to quickly implement a new broad job tax credit.”
• reduced tax on work»På sikt vill vi permanent sänka skatten på de lägsta lönerna med minst 1 000 kronor i månaden samtidigt som marginalskatterna för alla fortsätter att minska.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the long term we want to permanently reduce the tax on the lowest wages by at least 1,000 kronor per month while marginal taxes for everyone continue to decrease.”
• work should pay»Det ska löna sig bättre att arbeta, utbilda sig och ta ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“It should pay better to work, get educated and take responsibility.”
• no increased tax gap»En samlad skattereform ska inte leda till att skillnaden i beskattningen mellan löntagare och pensionärer ökar.« (party programme ↗)“A comprehensive tax reform shall not lead to the difference in taxation between wage earners and pensioners increasing.”

The plan demands a tax system that stimulates work and that all full-time workers shall be able to live on their income. Returning to uniform taxation by rolling back the earned income tax credit goes against that commitment. The gap with pensioners is instead closed in the plan by lowering tax on pensions and tax relief for older workers.

• tax that stimulates workdecisive»det stimulerar arbete, hederlighet, sparande och företagande« (party programme ↗)“it stimulates work, honesty, saving and entrepreneurship”
• work must pay»Målet är att alla heltidsarbetande ska kunna« (party programme ↗)“The goal is that all full-time workers shall be able to”
• lower tax on pensions»Sänkt skatt på pension.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower tax on pensions.”
• tax relief for older workers»Skattelättnad för äldre (69+) som vill och kan fortsätta arbeta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tax relief for older people (69+) who want to and can continue working.”

The election manifesto promises to lower taxes on work so that effort pays off better, and explicitly establishes that it should always pay better to have worked than not to have done so. The counter-proposal's demand that work-based income sources be taxed equally, that is to say that the tax gap from the earned income tax credit should be removed, goes directly against this. The plan therefore rejects the demand.

• lower tax on workdecisive»Sänka skatten på arbete så att din ansträngning lönar sig bättre« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower taxes on work so that your effort pays off better”
• work should pay more»Vi värnar arbetslinjen i pensionssystemet – det ska alltid löna sig bättre att ha arbetat än att inte ha gjort det.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We protect the work line in the pension system – it should always pay better to have worked than not to have done so.”
• work line in the tax system»Skatter och bidragssystem ska utgå från arbetslinjen.« (party programme ↗)“Taxes and benefit systems should be based on the work line.”
• tax-hike cap»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”

The plan's core tax policy commitment is that it should be more rewarding to work and contribute to society, and work is seen as the only sure means to lasting prosperity. The counter-proposal wants to level out the tax difference that the earned income tax credit creates, which weakens that incentive. The plan provides no support for eliminating the tax gap between earned income and other income types.

• work must paydecisive»Det måste löna sig bättre att bidra till samhället genom att arbeta och i övrigt vara en god samhällsmedborgare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It must be more rewarding to contribute to society through work and otherwise be a good citizen.”
• strengthened work incentives»Göra det mer lönsamt att arbeta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make work more rewarding”
• work-oriented tax policy»Göra det lönsamt att arbeta och bidra till samhället« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it rewarding to work and contribute to society”
• work as the foundation for prosperity»Vi ser arbete som det enda säkra medlet« (party programme ↗)“We see work as the only sure means”