The risk tax: Compensation to the municipal sector is a good step along the way

The Swedish Government wishes to introduce a compensation to the municipal sector for the extra costs caused by the recently launched risk tax. This was announced at the presentation this morning of the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill and the Spring Amending Budget for 2022.

The initiative is a response to one part of a declaration that the Riksdag adopted when the decision on the risk tax was made in December 2021. The Riksdag then called on the Government to quickly table a proposal to compensate the municipal sector for the extra costs that the taxation of municipal collaboration through Kommuninvest entails.

The Government's proposal implies that a new appropriation of SEK 300 million, “Temporary support for increased costs for financing”, is incorporated into the central government budget. The appropriation may be used to compensate municipalities and regions for increased costs for financing. How the appropriation is going to be distributed is not clarified at this stage.

Now that this proposal has been presented, the Government still needs to deliver on the other part of the announcement about the risk tax and the municipal sector that the Riksdag adopted in December. The Riksdag then called on the Government to, no later than 1 October 2022, present a proposal to ensure that municipal collaboration through Kommuninvest is no longer targeted by the tax from 1 January 2023. The Government clarifies in the Spring Amending Budget that this is an issue that is still being analyzed.

– We welcome the fact that the compensation to municipalities and regions seems to be realized. This is a good step along the way. But it is very important that the Government also takes the second step and ensures that municipal collaboration through Kommuninvest is no longer taxed after 2022. The taxation of the low-risk institute Kommuninvest is – as the Riksdag also notes – highly unreasonable, says Linda Frohm, Vice Chairman of Kommuninvest Cooperative Society.

– We expect the government to deliver the proposal necessary to establish a stable and sustainable situation where municipal collaboration through Kommuninvest is not taxed. It would be an advantage if the proposal is presented in good time before 1 October. We would be happy to enter into a constructive dialogue with the Government to contribute to identifying a workable solution, says Göran Färm, Chairman of Kommuninvest Cooperative Society.

For further information

Tomas Werngren, CEO, tel: +46 70 645 06 69, e-mail: tomas.werngren@kommuninvest.se

David Ljung, Head of Communications, tel: +46 73 068 45 45, e-mail: david.ljung@kommuninvest.se