Fresh figures from the Tax Agency show that Maud Angelica Behn had just over NOK 219,000 in income in 2021. She paid more than NOK 70,000 in tax.
She is also listed as having NOK 2,497,447 in assets.
NB: The figures in the tax lists can be misleading for various reasons, read more about this here.
FAMILY: Crown Princess Metter-Marit, Maud Angelica Behn and Queen Sonja during the opening of the exhibition Open Doors in the Queen Sonja Kunsthalle. More than 100 works from Queen Sonja’s art collection are displayed here. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB
Impressive lady
In recent years, Behn has impressed greatly with her many talents. She has opened an art exhibition, she has published a book and she has participated in Maskorama.
She was also praised by the Norwegian people after she gave a very moving speech at the funeral of her father, Ari Behn, three years ago.
Because of this speech, which was about her father’s suicide, she received the Acute Psychiatry Award 2020. For the same reason, she was also named “Bravest Woman of the Year” by Tara magazine.
Only four members of the royal family must pay taxes
When the tax lists were published on 7 December, Norwegians were able to gain insight into the income, wealth and tax of three members of the royal family.
Million loss for Märtha Louise
Princess Märtha Louise, Princess Astrid and Marius Borg Høiby all have to pay tax.
Since then, TV 2 has been in contact with the Swedish Tax Agency to obtain corresponding information about the last taxable member of the royal family: Maud Angelica Behn, who is number five in the line of succession.
It has been easier said than done.
Secret information?
The tax authorities refused to provide this information for a long time, and asked TV 2 to send a formal access request.
The petition was dismissed two months later, on 3 January. These were parts of the reasoning:
“(…) an exception applies when the taxable person’s address is blocked in accordance with the provisions given in or pursuant to the National Register Act, cf. Tax Administration Act § 9-7 third paragraph. In that case, the taxpayer’s tax list information will also be subject to the duty of confidentiality that applies according to the Tax Administration Act section 3-1 first paragraph.”
Since the main rule is that Norwegians must pay tax, and that this information must be public, TV 2 has gone through several rounds with the Swedish Tax Agency.
When the Royal Palace was asked why this information was kept secret, the following answer came from the palace:
“The Royal Court has given consent to the Tax Agency to release information about the royals, as well as the Crown Princess’s son. The Royal Court has no information about Maud Angelika Behn’s finances, nor any role in producing information about it. We can nevertheless inform you that Maud Angelica Behn has today given the Tax Agency consent that information about the tax settlement for 2021 can be given to the media on request.”
Subsequently, TV 2 obtained Behn’s tax information anyway. The tax authority apologises, and calls it “a misunderstanding with regard to her consent”.
THE KING LEAVES: Four of King Harald’s grandchildren (Marius Borg Høiby, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn) must all pay taxes when they reach legal age. The two remaining grandchildren escape. Photo: Lise Åserud/NTB
Therefore King Harald does not tax
There are very few people in Norway who cannot be found if you do a so-called tax search.
TV 2, for example, has a search register where you can find out what people in your neighborhood earn, what Norwegian celebrities earn and what top business leaders earn. Among the very few who cannot be found on such search lists are members of the Norwegian royal house.
This applies to King Harald (85), Queen Sonja (85), Crown Prince Haakon (49), Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (18) and Prince Sverre Magnus (17). None of these are taxable, and are thus exempt from the lists.
Because of their royal titles, they receive so-called “appanage”. To explain this without using Latin words: This is the annual salary from the state treasury.
Maud Angelica Behn is a member of the royal family – not the royal house. She earns money in the same way as other Norwegians.
She is still not searchable in the lists. The same applies to his mother, Princess Märtha Louise. The press receives this information directly from the Norwegian Tax Agency.
