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Tax authorities offer strippers one-time amnesty

Swedish tax authorities have written letters to 340 strippers, some of whom still live with their parents, giving the women a one-time chance to pay back taxes owed on income they earned from dancing.

Published: 8 April 2008 16:31 CEST
Tax authorities offer strippers one-time amnesty
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/FLT-PICA/Scanpix

According to Dagens Nyheter (DN), the women are between 18- and 40-years-old and worked for varying lengths of time at clubs which are at the center of a major tax fraud investigation.

The owners of the clubs are among 10 people indicted for tax evasion and money laundering the proceeds from their strip club operations through accounts in the Netherlands and Estonia. The men stand accused of withholding 17.5 million kronor ($2.9 million) in taxes.

Investigators at Sweden’s Bureau of Economic Crimes (EBM) believe the women, many of whom are barely 18-years-old and still living with their parents, may have earned between 30,000 and 50,000 kronor per month dancing at the clubs, up to half of which was hidden from tax authorities.

The Swedish Tax Authority (Skatteverket) is offering the woman a one-time amnesty to make good on their debt to the state.

“We see this as a preventative measure. We’re giving these people a chance to avoid being assessed arrears, which at the same time demonstrates that we follow up on these sorts of cases,” said Skatteverket’s Eva Bergholm Guhnby to DN.

Police first looked suspicious of pimping at strip clubs last summer, making several arrests in October raids. Among those detained were a former police officer, a former professional boxer, and a former stripper.

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MONEY

How to avoid falling victim to tax scams in Sweden

Sweden's tax agency, Skatteverket, warns of an increase in scams when it's time for Swedish tax-payers to declare their taxes.

Published: 12 March 2024 13:40 CET
How to avoid falling victim to tax scams in Sweden

Anyone who earned more than 22,208 kronor last year received their tax returns digitally last week, marking the start of tax season.

That also means an expected peak in tax-related scams, Skatteverket warns.

Most of the scams are so-called phishing scams, meaning attempts to steal the victims’ personal information. Fraudsters may for example email a person, pretending to represent Skatteverket, and ask them for, among other things, their banking details.

“We’re seeing these in all channels. They use fake emails, SMS, letters and in some cases even phone calls. It is particularly common in tax declaration times – just when we’re about to send out the tax returns, the e-service opens and it’s possible to declare – but above all when it’s time for tax rebates,” Jan Janowski, a Skatteverket expert, told Swedish news agency TT.

A scam email might for example state that you’re entitled to a tax rebate and that you should click a link to receive it. Don’t click any links, open any attachments or reply to the message. Skatteverket advises that you immediately delete the email or text message.

Another common scam is that you receive a text message claiming to be from Skatteverket, telling you that you owe them money and you need to log in to calculate the amount. The website you’re urged to log in via does not belong to Skatteverket. Don’t click the link.

The agency stresses that it never asks people for their banking details. The exception is that you may be asked for your bank account information if you log into Skatteverket’s website to declare your taxes, but that always first requires you to log into the site.

To receive your tax rebate, you need to inform Skatteverket of your bank account number. You do this not by clicking a link in an email or SMS, but by logging into their website using a digital ID, for example BankID, and submitting your details. Only do this on your own initiative. If someone calls you and asks you to log in with your BankID during the phone call, don’t do it. That’s another common scam.

Skatteverket will also never call you to ask for your bank account or credit card number.

It will be possible to declare your taxes from March 19th. You’ll receive any tax rebate you’re owed by mid-April or early June, depending on when you submit your tax return. These are the dates when fraudsters are likely to attempt the most scams.

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