taxes

I heard from a couple of people very recently that foreigners working in Norway are eligible for a tax rate of only 10% for their first two years in the country. So, I called the Oslo tax office and asked about it. The tax person asked me for my Norwegian personal number (like an SSN), said that I'm indeed eligible for it, did some quick typing, and said that I'll be sent a new tax card in the mail. All I have to do then is give that card to my employer.

That's it. That's all it took. Less than 5 minutes. If I were a foreigner trying to do something like this in the States, the amount of red tape that I'd have to go through would be immense by comparison. I mean, even trying to prove that you're a state resident in order to get in-state tuition can be a nightmare. I'm still in shock.

So now, rather than having to give upwards of 40% of my check to the gov'ment each month, I have to give only 10%. It's tempting me to stay here for two whole years so that I can abuse the system.