Claim your Norwegian tax refund. Get every krone you’re owed.
If you worked in Norway and paid forskuddstrekk (withholding tax), there’s a strong chance you overpaid. Whether you worked in fishing, aquaculture, oil and gas, construction, shipbuilding, or any other industry — Refutax handles your entire claim with the Skatteetaten so you don’t have to.
Norway’s high wages mean high tax deductions. We make sure you get the right amount back.
Norway is known for high wages, but also for high taxes. The Norwegian tax system deducts forskuddstrekk (advance tax) from your wages based on your skattekort (tax card). The problem for foreign workers is that the standard tax table (tabellkort) or the percentage tax card (prosentkort) often overestimates your annual income, especially if you only worked in Norway for part of the year. Additionally, many foreign workers are eligible for the 10% standard deduction for foreign workers (standardfradrag for utenlandske arbeidstakere) or the PAYE scheme (kildeskatteordningen) introduced in 2019, but their employers may not have applied these correctly. Norway’s annual tax settlement (skatteoppgjør) calculates the final difference, and if you overpaid, you’re entitled to a refund. Refutax ensures your skattemelding (tax return) is filed correctly to maximize your refund.
15,000 NOK+ Average
Norwegian tax refund per year (≈€1,300)
What you can claim back from Norway
Norway’s tax system has several ways for foreign workers to reduce their tax bill and claim refunds. Here are the three main services we provide.
Withholding Tax Refund
Your employer in Norway deducted forskuddstrekk from your wages every month based on your skattekort. If you worked for less than a full year, or if the wrong tax table was applied, you likely overpaid. We file your skattemelding (tax return) with the Skatteetaten and claim back the overpaid amount. Norwegian tax refunds for foreign workers typically range from 8,000 to 30,000 NOK (≈€700–€2,600) depending on your income and deductions.
10% Standard Deduction
Foreign workers in Norway who stayed less than 2 years can choose the standardfradrag for utenlandske arbeidstakere — a flat 10% deduction on gross income (capped at 40,000 NOK). This replaces many individual deductions and is often the best option for temporary workers. Alternatively, if you stayed longer or had significant expenses, claiming individual deductions (fradrag) may give you more. We calculate both options and file whichever gives you the larger refund.
Individual Deductions (Fradrag)
Norway allows a wide range of individual deductions that can significantly reduce your taxable income: travel costs between your home country and Norway (pendlerfradrag), accommodation expenses while working in Norway (boligfradrag for pendlere), seafarer’s deduction (sjømannsfradrag) for maritime workers, union membership fees (fagforeningskontingent), interest on loans, and the minimum standard deduction (minstefradrag) which is applied automatically. We review your situation and claim every applicable deduction.
Why workers trust Refutax for their Norwegian tax refund.
Stats
12K+
Services Offered
Avegare Refund
15,000 NOK
Average refund per client per year
Succes
95%
Successful claims filed
Docs
< 48h
From documents to filing
Years
4 years
Of past taxes you can still claim
Who can claim a Norwegian tax refund?
You are most likely eligible if any of the following apply:
Not sure? Use our free eligibility check or call us — we’ll tell you within minutes.
What documents do you need for a Norwegian tax refund?
Don’t worry if you’re missing some — our team can help you get replacements.
How long does a Norwegian tax refund take?
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about getting your tax refund.
Yes. You do not need to be in Norway to claim your refund. Refutax handles everything remotely. We file your skattemelding with the Skatteetaten on your behalf, and your refund is transferred directly to your bank account anywhere in the world. Many of our Norwegian tax clients are based in Albania, Romania, Ukraine, and other countries.
A fødselsnummer is a permanent Norwegian national ID number given to residents. A D-number is a temporary identification number given to foreign workers who stay in Norway for less than 6 months. Both work for tax purposes. If you have either one, you can file a tax return and claim a refund. If you’re not sure which one you have, check your payslips or tax card — the number will be there.
The standardfradrag for utenlandske arbeidstakere is a flat 10% deduction on your gross income (capped at 40,000 NOK per year). It’s available to foreign workers who stayed in Norway for less than 2 years. The advantage is simplicity — you don’t need receipts. However, if your actual travel and accommodation expenses exceed 10% of your income, claiming individual deductions (fradrag) gives you a larger refund. We calculate both options and choose the best one for you.
The kildeskatteordningen (PAYE scheme) was introduced in 2019 as a simplified tax system for foreign workers. Under this scheme, you pay a flat 25% tax rate on your income with no deductions. While this simplifies things, it can result in overpaying if your income was low or if you would have been better off under the regular tax system with deductions. If you were on the PAYE scheme and believe you overpaid, we can check whether switching to the regular system for a retroactive claim would give you a refund.
Yes, and fishing and aquaculture workers are among our most common Norwegian tax clients. These industries often employ seasonal workers from abroad who work for only part of the year, making them prime candidates for tax refunds. Additionally, if you worked on a fishing vessel, you may be eligible for the sjømannsfradrag (seafarer’s deduction) of up to 80,000 NOK, which can significantly increase your refund. We check all applicable deductions for maritime and aquaculture workers.
You can claim a Norwegian tax refund for the past 4 years. In 2026, you can file for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. If you’ve been putting off claiming, act now — once a year falls outside the 3-year window, that money is gone. We recommend claiming all eligible years at once.
Yes. The Skatteetaten can transfer refunds to foreign bank accounts, though it requires providing your IBAN and BIC/SWIFT code. The transfer typically takes 2–4 weeks. If you have a Norwegian bank account (even a digital one), that’s usually faster. We help you set up the correct payment details with the Skatteetaten to ensure your refund arrives without issues.
Ready to claim your Norwegian tax refund ?
Start your free application today. It takes less than 5 minutes, and you’ll know within 48 hours if you’re eligible for a refund.
- Zero Fees
- Free Application
