Skatteverket asks for names of Sweden-based EBD members
Oct 28, 2020, 6:08 pm
#106
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Maybe they are just trying to find some big fish at this point and then they try to figure out what to do with the information.
Of course, SK would refuse to provide additional information and by the time it's been through HFD, it could well be past the 10-year limit.
I didn't actually check the records when I wrote that. It seems that there were two of them born on the 14th. Name+date of birth probably gives a unique hit in most cases.
Of course, SK would refuse to provide additional information and by the time it's been through HFD, it could well be past the 10-year limit.
I didn't actually check the records when I wrote that. It seems that there were two of them born on the 14th. Name+date of birth probably gives a unique hit in most cases.
Oct 28, 2020, 6:22 pm
#107
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,016
Oct 28, 2020, 6:42 pm
#108
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I meant Skatteverket (as in Sweden).
For Sweden, women’s names with a shared birthdate lead to more double hits than men’s names. So to answer your third question, yes.
For Sweden, women’s names with a shared birthdate lead to more double hits than men’s names. So to answer your third question, yes.
Mar 24, 2021, 8:10 am
#109
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
And there is goes...
or with Google Translate
https://www.sas.se/juridisk-informat...awbtI-g87w_wcB
Bästa EuroBonus-medlem,
Du får detta brev med anledning av att Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen fastställt att Skatteverket har rätt till uppgifter om poängaktivitet på EuroBonus-konton hos SAS Diamantmedlemmar under 2017. Det innebär att SAS nu har överlämnat uppgifter om din poängstatus under perioden till Skatteverket.
SAS har överklagat Skatteverkets begäran, men både förvaltningsrätten och kammarrätten avslog överklagandet och nu har Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen beslutat att inte lämna prövningstillstånd i frågan.
Detta innebär att domen har vunnit laga kraft och att SAS behöver överlämna uppgifterna i enlighet med Skatteverkets ursprungliga begäran från april 2018.
Uppgifterna gäller en sammanställning över medlemmar i SAS EuroBonus-program som i januari 2017 uppnått EuroBonus Diamantstatus och som har registrerad adress i Sverige och/eller ett telefonnummer som kan kopplas till telefonabonnemang i Sverige. De uppgifter som Skatteverket önskar ta del av är namn, födelsedatum och antal poäng vid årets början och slut, samt utnyttjade poäng under 2017.
Beslutet innebär att Skatteverket nu kan komma att kontakta medlemmar med frågor om status för EuroBonus-poängen under perioden.
EuroBonus-poäng som tjänats in i tjänsten utgör en skattepliktig förmån om dessa poäng används privat. Om du har tjänat in poäng genom en tjänsteresa som din arbetsgivare har betalat för och du sedan använt dessa poäng för att boka en resa privat, anser Skatteverket att värdet på poängen ska tas upp till beskattning.
Via knappen nedan hittar du en sammanställning av frågor och svar om beslutet. Vid mer specifika frågor om vad beslutet innebär för dig, uppmanar vi dig att ta kontakt med Skatteverket eller annan rådgivare.
Hälsningar från SAS EuroBonus
Du får detta brev med anledning av att Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen fastställt att Skatteverket har rätt till uppgifter om poängaktivitet på EuroBonus-konton hos SAS Diamantmedlemmar under 2017. Det innebär att SAS nu har överlämnat uppgifter om din poängstatus under perioden till Skatteverket.
SAS har överklagat Skatteverkets begäran, men både förvaltningsrätten och kammarrätten avslog överklagandet och nu har Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen beslutat att inte lämna prövningstillstånd i frågan.
Detta innebär att domen har vunnit laga kraft och att SAS behöver överlämna uppgifterna i enlighet med Skatteverkets ursprungliga begäran från april 2018.
Uppgifterna gäller en sammanställning över medlemmar i SAS EuroBonus-program som i januari 2017 uppnått EuroBonus Diamantstatus och som har registrerad adress i Sverige och/eller ett telefonnummer som kan kopplas till telefonabonnemang i Sverige. De uppgifter som Skatteverket önskar ta del av är namn, födelsedatum och antal poäng vid årets början och slut, samt utnyttjade poäng under 2017.
Beslutet innebär att Skatteverket nu kan komma att kontakta medlemmar med frågor om status för EuroBonus-poängen under perioden.
EuroBonus-poäng som tjänats in i tjänsten utgör en skattepliktig förmån om dessa poäng används privat. Om du har tjänat in poäng genom en tjänsteresa som din arbetsgivare har betalat för och du sedan använt dessa poäng för att boka en resa privat, anser Skatteverket att värdet på poängen ska tas upp till beskattning.
Via knappen nedan hittar du en sammanställning av frågor och svar om beslutet. Vid mer specifika frågor om vad beslutet innebär för dig, uppmanar vi dig att ta kontakt med Skatteverket eller annan rådgivare.
Hälsningar från SAS EuroBonus
or with Google Translate
Dear EuroBonus member,
You will receive this letter due to the Supreme Administrative Court ruling that the Swedish Tax Agency is entitled to information about points activity on EuroBonus accounts with SAS Diamond members in 2017. This means that SAS has now submitted information about your points status during the period to the Swedish Tax Agency.
SAS has appealed the Swedish Tax Agency's request, but both the Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal and now the Supreme Administrative Court has decided not to grant leave to appeal in the matter.
This means that the ruling has gained legal force and that SAS needs to submit the information in accordance with the Swedish Tax Agency's original request from April 2018.
The information concerns a compilation of members of SAS's EuroBonus program who in January 2017 achieved EuroBonus Diamond status and who have a registered address in Sweden and / or a telephone number that can be linked to telephone subscriptions in Sweden. The information that the Swedish Tax Agency wishes to take part in is name, date of birth and number of points at the beginning and end of the year, as well as utilized points in 2017.
The decision means that the Swedish Tax Agency may now contact members with questions about the status of the EuroBonus points during the period.
EuroBonus points earned in the service constitute a taxable benefit if these points are used privately. If you have earned points through a business trip that your employer has paid for and you then used these points to book a trip privately, the Tax Agency considers that the value of the points should be taken up for taxation.
Via the button below, you will find a compilation of questions and answers about the decision. For more specific questions about what the decision means for you, we encourage you to contact the Swedish Tax Agency or another adviser.
Greetings from SAS EuroBonus
You will receive this letter due to the Supreme Administrative Court ruling that the Swedish Tax Agency is entitled to information about points activity on EuroBonus accounts with SAS Diamond members in 2017. This means that SAS has now submitted information about your points status during the period to the Swedish Tax Agency.
SAS has appealed the Swedish Tax Agency's request, but both the Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal and now the Supreme Administrative Court has decided not to grant leave to appeal in the matter.
This means that the ruling has gained legal force and that SAS needs to submit the information in accordance with the Swedish Tax Agency's original request from April 2018.
The information concerns a compilation of members of SAS's EuroBonus program who in January 2017 achieved EuroBonus Diamond status and who have a registered address in Sweden and / or a telephone number that can be linked to telephone subscriptions in Sweden. The information that the Swedish Tax Agency wishes to take part in is name, date of birth and number of points at the beginning and end of the year, as well as utilized points in 2017.
The decision means that the Swedish Tax Agency may now contact members with questions about the status of the EuroBonus points during the period.
EuroBonus points earned in the service constitute a taxable benefit if these points are used privately. If you have earned points through a business trip that your employer has paid for and you then used these points to book a trip privately, the Tax Agency considers that the value of the points should be taken up for taxation.
Via the button below, you will find a compilation of questions and answers about the decision. For more specific questions about what the decision means for you, we encourage you to contact the Swedish Tax Agency or another adviser.
Greetings from SAS EuroBonus
Mar 24, 2021, 8:16 am
#110
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The Swedish authorities are desperate to go after tax revenue however they can, but the courts have just made it easier on them to do so. Maybe the next in line will be SK*Gs with accounts having their primary address on file in Portugal (or whatever European country is hot on the radar for Swedish authorities at the time).
Should SK*Gs in Denmark be concerned about where things may head next?
I guess SK won't get in the habit of purging its records on SK EB customer activity anytime soon.
Should SK*Gs in Denmark be concerned about where things may head next?
I guess SK won't get in the habit of purging its records on SK EB customer activity anytime soon.
Mar 24, 2021, 8:38 am
#111
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
Well, I still have a hard time seeing them establishing a real proof if private and company paid points mix. But for sure they will try. I guess they will send a questionnaire:
We see you earned x points in 2017 and you spend y points in 2017. How many of those earned points where earned on business and how many of those points spend were spent private? You have 2 weeks to answer.
And then they will come back with a tax decision based on some sky high numbers put on the value of one EuroBonus point. Which is the moment I'll my lawyers to build up a defense around the actual benefit value.
EDIT://
funny enough, SK has finally reworked their website it seems. Haven't seen it for a while
If you click on "Export to Excel" next to "Lastest Activity", it exports a quite nice list of your earnings and spendings since... tadadadada... 1/2017. Coincidence? Don't think so. Anyway, just looked through it and funny enough, I did spend no points on private travel in 2017. So should be good there. Anyway, I assume since they now targeted 2017, the following years 2018, 2019 and 2020 will be requested next.
We see you earned x points in 2017 and you spend y points in 2017. How many of those earned points where earned on business and how many of those points spend were spent private? You have 2 weeks to answer.
And then they will come back with a tax decision based on some sky high numbers put on the value of one EuroBonus point. Which is the moment I'll my lawyers to build up a defense around the actual benefit value.
EDIT://
funny enough, SK has finally reworked their website it seems. Haven't seen it for a while
If you click on "Export to Excel" next to "Lastest Activity", it exports a quite nice list of your earnings and spendings since... tadadadada... 1/2017. Coincidence? Don't think so. Anyway, just looked through it and funny enough, I did spend no points on private travel in 2017. So should be good there. Anyway, I assume since they now targeted 2017, the following years 2018, 2019 and 2020 will be requested next.
Last edited by fassy; Mar 24, 2021 at 9:24 am
Mar 24, 2021, 9:37 am
#112
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: CPH, Swedish side of the bridge
Programs: SK*G (EBD)
Posts: 574
Just got (or more correctly just read) that mail. Luckily in 2017 my private earnings were 212k points, and my redemptions were 125k. So... Skatteverket gets nothing from me! :-)
All those weekend trips to China/HKG and the US may be bad for the environment, but they are good for me in this situation!
All those weekend trips to China/HKG and the US may be bad for the environment, but they are good for me in this situation!
Mar 24, 2021, 10:37 am
#114
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: CPH, Swedish side of the bridge
Programs: SK*G (EBD)
Posts: 574
I don't think the tax authorities know what kind of black hole they are falling into. Say I have a business trip to the US in economy or plus. I then upgrade for points earned privately. My trip now yields substantially more points, but only because I subsidized the upgrade. What points get attributed to which accounts?
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
Mar 24, 2021, 10:43 am
#115
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Stockholm
Programs: Various
Posts: 3,369
I don't think the tax authorities know what kind of black hole they are falling into. Say I have a business trip to the US in economy or plus. I then upgrade for points earned privately. My trip now yields substantially more points, but only because I subsidized the upgrade. What points get attributed to which accounts?
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
On the other point I don't disagree with you. Unfortunately I think the answer a lot of times is that they have borrowed cars from older relatives...
Mar 24, 2021, 11:05 am
#116
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Posts: 102,095
For how long does SK keep ticket receipt info around? I assume a bunch of that will show which form of payment was used for the card purchases, and that may provide some indication of whether or not a SK ticket used to credit SK flights to SK program accounts was a work-paid trip. But a lot of the points earned in SK accounts come from non-SK tickets too.
You were probably subject to tax in Sweden on all income from when you became a tax resident in Sweden and perhaps subject to Swedish taxation on Swedish income before that. So you'll definitely want to cover the last 4 months of 2017.
The Swedish police are on those things that Skatteverket doesn't dive into directly with the ladies and gentlemen in business casual attire at the office and elsewhere when it comes to financial crimes. Car purchases don't go unnoticed. And car leases are a dime a dozen around there, funded often by Forsakringkassan over the years or a group of kids pooling their money together with an older relative leasing the cars.
Speaking of pooling, what's going on with the SK family pooling? Can using the pooling in 2021 help balance the "employer-paid" points accumulated and used on personal travel in 2017? Points don't accumulate interest so is merely not having to pay interest on borrowing points for use in 2017 against future points earnings a tax liability in the 2017 tax year?
If they institute a wealth tax again in Sweden, will points hoardings be considered an electronic form of wealth subject to taxation for holding too regardless of source of those points?
I don't think the tax authorities know what kind of black hole they are falling into. Say I have a business trip to the US in economy or plus. I then upgrade for points earned privately. My trip now yields substantially more points, but only because I subsidized the upgrade. What points get attributed to which accounts?
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
Maybe these guys should start looking at how the kids around Möllevången in Malmö can be driving around in the cars they have. More potential for sniffing out real tax crimes (not to mention real crimes of other types), but they know that Sven and Gunnar won't shoot them.
Speaking of pooling, what's going on with the SK family pooling? Can using the pooling in 2021 help balance the "employer-paid" points accumulated and used on personal travel in 2017? Points don't accumulate interest so is merely not having to pay interest on borrowing points for use in 2017 against future points earnings a tax liability in the 2017 tax year?
If they institute a wealth tax again in Sweden, will points hoardings be considered an electronic form of wealth subject to taxation for holding too regardless of source of those points?
Last edited by GUWonder; Mar 24, 2021 at 11:23 am
Mar 24, 2021, 11:12 am
#117
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
But then I remember in 2015, they ordered a tax audit based on the fact that the capital gain on one of my private capital based life insurances in Germany (with a tiny 4 digit EUR amount in value and being dormant for years) was reported wrongly by our payroll services. SKV enforced a full review and after months of back and forth with my tax lawyer which did cost me (or better my company) thousands of dollars in lawyer fees they send me their decision: I had to pay 93 SEK in taxes for the previous 3 years. No joke. Which shows, they can be unrelenting.
Why do you think so, what is so special about those younger members? To be honest, I do not read in that forum too often.
Mar 24, 2021, 11:21 am
#118
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
Well, maybe not forced as in "win in front of the courts" but I think they will definitely try to send out their questionnaires and try to create an atmosphere or fear in hope some people will give them data and tax money without being forced to. If you fight back hard, they might drop it or actually try to make an example.
But then I remember in 2015, they ordered a tax audit based on the fact that the capital gain on one of my private capital based life insurances in Germany (with a tiny 4 digit EUR amount in value and being dormant for years) was reported wrongly by our payroll services. SKV enforced a full review and after months of back and forth with my tax lawyer which did cost me (or better my company) thousands of dollars in lawyer fees they send me their decision: I had to pay 93 SEK in taxes for the previous 3 years. No joke. Which shows, they can be unrelenting.
Why do you think so, what is so special about those younger members? To be honest, I do not read in that forum too often.
But then I remember in 2015, they ordered a tax audit based on the fact that the capital gain on one of my private capital based life insurances in Germany (with a tiny 4 digit EUR amount in value and being dormant for years) was reported wrongly by our payroll services. SKV enforced a full review and after months of back and forth with my tax lawyer which did cost me (or better my company) thousands of dollars in lawyer fees they send me their decision: I had to pay 93 SEK in taxes for the previous 3 years. No joke. Which shows, they can be unrelenting.
Why do you think so, what is so special about those younger members? To be honest, I do not read in that forum too often.
Mar 24, 2021, 11:47 am
#119
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Stockholm
Programs: Various
Posts: 3,369
None of them is an account manager in pharma or works for McKinsey or similar way that could explain frequent travel with 'limited' income.
And as nacho mentions there are ways to earn points for free through various means.
I think the challenge for the EBD will be to explain to SKV that it's more complicated than earning miles through flights only. I don't think SKV understand where the majority of points come from. I'm also not sure it helps to say you pay things on behalf of your company with your personal card.
Mar 24, 2021, 12:00 pm
#120
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A lot of the US programs hand out way more miles/points in the aggregate for non-flight activity than for flight activity. I assume the SK program is not as heavily skewed in that way as the US program, but I would expect that there are a lot of points in the SK program accounts that are from non-flight activity.
Is it card-churning or manufactured spend?
There are some SE-based EBs who seem to have been engaged in some manufactured spend. Things like buying lots of expensive goods for re-sale at a discount to the prevailing Swedish prices for some of those goods. If someone often sells goods at a slight loss or at purchase-price break-even when does Skatteverket make an issue of it?
Those young members tend to have a lot of EB points via card churning (honestly I don't know how they churn that kind of $). Think about manufacturing 100k spending on one card (they probably have more than one) their bank accounts might get flagged by SKV. One told me that he lives in a small apartment in Stockholm that he only pays 3000kr a year in electricity and I don't think they are big business owner so the income and their money movement doesn't match.
There are some SE-based EBs who seem to have been engaged in some manufactured spend. Things like buying lots of expensive goods for re-sale at a discount to the prevailing Swedish prices for some of those goods. If someone often sells goods at a slight loss or at purchase-price break-even when does Skatteverket make an issue of it?