Denmark's parliamentary opposition is escalating pressure on Tax Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen over controversial penalty interest charges imposed on homeowners caught in the country's property valuation delays. The Denmark Democrats' tax spokesperson Hans Kristian Skibby called for Folketingets Ombudsmand (Denmark's parliamentary ombudsman) to investigate whether the government's interest collection practices violate constitutional rights.
Constitutional Rights Under Question
The dispute centers on homeowners receiving penalty interest bills for delayed property tax payments that stem entirely from Vurderingsstyrelsen's (the Property Assessment Authority) own administrative delays. Skibby argued the practice strikes at fundamental citizen protections: "We are right at the core when citizens cannot be certain that the bills they receive from public authorities are legally valid. We are dealing with constitutional rights here."
During Thursday's parliamentary hearing, Minister Halsboe-Jørgensen acknowledged the situation was "absurd" but maintained the interest charges remain legally valid under kildeskattelovens paragraf 62 A (withholding tax law section 62A). Her ministry's position relies on specific property tax regulations overriding general legal principles about creditor responsibility for delays.
The Conservative Party's tax spokesperson Frederik Bloch Münster challenged this interpretation directly: "If any other legal entity did this, charged interest for a delay they themselves caused, I would consider it illegal. I don't understand the logic here." According to DR, Folketingets Ombudsmand serves as Denmark's key oversight body for public administration, with authority to criticize government agencies and demand corrective action.
Legal Experts Challenge Government Position
Two prominent legal authorities have publicly disputed the Tax Ministry's stance. Former Tax Ministry department chief Peter Loft and Copenhagen University law professor Rasmus Grønved Nielsen both argue the interest collection violates established court principles about "fordringshavermora" (creditor delay responsibility). Under this principle, creditors cannot charge interest when they themselves cause payment delays.
The legal challenge gains weight from the specific circumstances: homeowners face penalty interest solely because Vurderingsstyrelsen failed to complete property assessments on schedule. Professor Nielsen contends kildeskatteloven was designed for cases where taxpayers cause delays, not government agencies.
Minister Halsboe-Jørgensen promised her ministry would find solutions to return money to affected homeowners "as quickly as possible." But she deflected legal responsibility questions to her civil servants, stating she must rely on their juridical assessments while acknowledging the unfairness to individual citizens.
Ombudsman Investigation Could Force Policy Reversal
Skibby emphasized the ombudsman's unique authority in this dispute: "The Ombudsman can speak with greater authority to the tax minister than I can as an opposition politician." According to the Ombudsman's office, the institution protects citizen rights in dealings with authorities and can demand ministry explanations for administrative practices.
The case represents a broader test of Danish administrative accountability. Homeowners like Helle Madsen, who received the Queen's Medal of Merit for 40 years of tax authority service, now face penalty charges from her former employer due to systemic delays beyond citizen control.
If Folketingets Ombudsmand takes up the case, the investigation could force fundamental changes to how Danish authorities handle administrative delays affecting citizen finances. Expect the ombudsman decision within weeks, with potential ramifications extending far beyond property tax collection to general principles of government accountability in Denmark society.
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