There are plenty of advantages to commuting to and from work, whether it be cheaper rent or property prices, being closer to nature, or being able to live closer to your children's school.
The obvious downside, apart from making the journey, is the cost. Thankfully, commuters in Norway can claim some of this cost back as a tax deduction.
Furthermore, you can change tax returns up to three years after they have been submitted. If you have missed out on a deduction, you can log into the Norwegian Tax Administration portal and update the information.
READ ALSO: Five things to do when you get your Norwegian tax return
Norway's commuter deductions cover several categories. Firstly, those who spend nights away from home can claim additional expenses such as food and accommodation, you can also make deductions for travel between work and home.
The Norwegian Tax Administration has a wizard on its website which tells workers whether they are classified as commuters and, therefore, eligible for deductions on its website.
As a technical point, you can be ineligible for a commuter deduction, but you can also deduct daily travel to and from work.
Those who travel round trips of more than 37 kilometres between work and home are eligible for the travel deduction. This deduction is calculated based on several factors, such as the length of the journey, whether toll roads and ferries significantly reduce the journey time, and the number of days of the year you make the journey into work.
The traveller's deduction can be claimed for up to 230 days of the year. The low threshold for roundtrips means that journeys between Oslo and nearby towns such as Ski or Lillestrøm become tax deductible.
How to add these to your tax return
When checking your tax return, you can choose to add information.
There is a section marked "Would you like to provide any other information?". From there, if you go to the bottom of the list, there should be an option for "work and travel" (when using the English version of the portal).
From there, you can input your information, making the process relatively straightforward.
Below you can see some pictures on where to add any travel deductions.
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