In a remarkable case of property taxes, several Danish homeowners have experienced being charged property tax not only for their own property but also for their neighbors. Minister of Tax (Skatteminister) Jeppe Bruus has publicly acknowledged the seriousness of the problem and promises to work on a solution. During a hearing in the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) on Thursday, Jeppe Bruus had to explain how he intends to handle the bizarre situation where citizens like Gitta Ravn from Odense have been charged property tax for a total of 14 different properties. This is due to an error in the allocation of the so-called BFE numbers, which are unique numbers assigned to properties at construction or subdivision.
“We are working on a solution to the problem,” said Jeppe Bruus during the hearing, but could not provide a concrete guarantee that the affected citizens will be exempt from the unjust tax burden. The minister expressed concern about the potential consequences of retroactive legislation and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation of the situation. The situation arose when certain properties in the subdivision of townhouses mistakenly retained the original BFE number, resulting in a single homeowner being held responsible for the property tax for all the new properties. This has led to absurd and unfair situations for the affected individuals, who have felt powerless and unfairly treated.
The Minister of Tax also acknowledged that the advice from the Valuation Agency (Vurderingsstyrelsen) to Gitta Ravn, suggesting that she could “go door to door collecting donations,” was completely unacceptable. “That law needs to be changed. Period,” stated Jeppe Bruus. The government will now further examine the case in the negotiation circle, where a sustainable solution must be found to correct the current tragicomic situation and ensure that similar errors do not occur in the future.