Fewer can imagine doing undeclared work
2020-05-15
Only four out of a hundred private individuals can imagine working undeclared or tax cheat in other ways, even if they were not discovered. Nine out of ten private individuals also state that they feel a moral obligation to pay tax according to current rules. For companies, the figure is even higher, 96 percent.
The Swedish Tax Agency annually carries out measurements of how individuals and companies view the tax system and the Swedish Tax Agency. In the latest surveys, several improvements were noted regarding the attitude towards cheating and the confidence in the Swedish Tax Agency.
As many as 81 percent of private individuals and 82 percent of companies state that they have confidence in the authority. These are the highest levels of confidence since the Swedish Tax Agency started surveys in the 1980s.
The respondents are satisfied with several things. As many as 95 per cent of the companies feel that they have been treated well. More private individuals also find it easier to find on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.
“Of course, we are very pleased that confidence in us is increasing,” says Director General Katrin Westling Palm. These are the fruits of long and sustained work with our internal culture and of constantly simplifying for individuals and companies, not least with the help of new technology.
The proportion of private individuals who can imagine working undeclared or tax cheating in other ways, given that it is not discovered, has fallen from six to four percent between the 2018 and 2019 measurements.
In 2015, almost a third stated that they knew someone who worked undeclared. That figure has now decreased by ten percentage points. At the same time, it is more difficult to withhold income or make incorrect deductions.
At the same time, there are areas where development is going in the wrong direction. More companies feel that they are exposed to unfair competition. From 2015 to 2019, that figure has increased from 17 to 22 percent. Breaking down the industries, construction and transport stand out. In the construction industry, 43 per cent of the companies feel that they are exposed to unfair competition. In transport, the corresponding figure is 45 percent.
“Unfortunately, this is in line with our and the cooperating authorities’ picture of reality,” comments Katrin Westling Palm. That is why we work both preventively, through industry co-operation, and through more controls to combat the cheating. Companies that do the right thing themselves should not be knocked out because of cheating competitors.
The survey was conducted in 2019 by Indikator. A total of 3,000 private individuals 2,500 companies were selected to participate. The response rate was 49 percent for private individuals and 55 percent for companies.