SHARE
COPY LINK

Opponents of tax break ‘guilty of hypocrisy’

Former government minister Ylva Johansson (SocDem) has successfully applied for tax deductions on domestic services, a policy to which her party is opposed, Svenska Dagbladet reports.

While the opposition parties all publicly denounce the domestic services scheme, at least two Social Democratic members of parliament, Ylva Johansson and Ann Arleklo, are reaping the financial rewards.

“I don’t think it’s fair to give tax subsidies to people like me. But I am following the tax rules that apply. Then one can also work to change them within the democratic system,” Johansson told Svenska Dagbladet.

Ann Arleklo said she faced a “dilemma” before sending in an application to the tax authorities but eventually decided that “the same rules should apply for everyone.”

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said he felt Ylva Johansson’s actions were an indication that she did not believe in her own arguments.

“She’ll have to accept that it’s going to raise questions if they are planning to run an election campaign to remove reforms that they themselves use. There’s an element of hypocrisy about it,” he said.