Forsberg and NOVA to merge as of 1 September
After three months of discussions, Forsberg and Advokatfirmaet NOVA DA have agreed to join forces under the name Advokatfirmaet Forsberg AS. Svein Egil Heikvam will take on the role of managing partner, while Erik Rosen from NOVA will chair the board. “We’re very pleased with the merger,” says Erik Rosen, managing partner at NOVA. “Our […]
Changes in taxation for equity funds and investment accounts
The Ministry of Finance proposes to change the provision for taxation of equity funds and investment accounts.The changes are intended to counteract double taxation and to provide funds with a better regulatory framework. The taxation of equity funds and investment accounts were reviewed and amended in 2016. In the hearing, the Ministry suggests that experience […]
Entry into force of PRIIPS in Norwegian law
The Act on Packaged Retail Investments and Insurance Products (The PRIIPS Act) came into force on 1 October 2024. Under the PRIIPS Act distributors and producers of certain insurance and investment products must produce a key information document to non-professional investors. The PRIIPs Act implements the PRIIPs Regulation (Regulation (EU) 1286/2014) into Norwegian law. The […]
Franchise 2024 Norway Chapter – International Comparative Legal Guides
Law firm Forsberg has contributed with the Norway Chapter in Global Legal Group’s Franchise 2024 – the 10th edition of the International Comparative Franchise Guide. The Norway Chapter has been written by our experienced lawyers Dag Thorstensen and Per Forsberg and contains an overview of some of the main legal and practical aspects of the […]
No injunction against compulsory fine for Meta and Facebook in Norway
Oslo District Court has rejected a request by Meta Platforms Ireland and Facebook Norway for a temporary injunction against a compulsory fine imposed by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority to enforce a temporary ban on behavioural marketing. The compulsory fine applies to Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta. The Data Protection Authority’s urgency decision […]
Holiday Act to be amended following claim from ESA
Since 2014 ESA (the EFTA Surveillance Authority), which supervises the EEA states’ compliance with EU’s Inner Market rules, has maintained that Norway’s Holiday Act 1988 is in violation of EU’s Working Time Directive (2003/88/EF). Under the Holiday Act 1988 employees are entitled to holiday leave from the first year they are employed but not to […]
Entry into force of the Transparency Act
The Transparency Act relating to enterprises’ transparency and work on fundamental human rights and decent working conditions came into force on 1 July 2022. Enterprises comprised by the scope of the act must now i.a. carry out due diligence in accordance with the OECD guidelines and publish an account of the due diligence. The Act […]
Amendments of the whistle blower rules
The Parliament has today unanimously adopted the Government’s proposal for amendments of the Working Environment Act regarding whistle blowing. The purpose of the amendments is to simplify the whistleblowing process and to make whistleblowing safer. The legislative changes follow up the preparatory work, NOU 2018:6 and clarify the personal scope of protection under the whistleblowing […]
Green Paper on new Civil Services Act
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has submitted a report and a legislative proposal regarding the Civil Service for consultation. The report, NOU 2019: 5, includes a draft Bill for a new Civil Service Act to replace the current Act from 1967. The rules on consideration of cases remain in the centre of the […]
Proposal to legislate the circumvention norm in tax law
The Ministry of Finance proposes to legislate the unwritten circumvention rule in tax law. The proposal is largely based on the unwritten rule, but nevertheless entails some change. The circumvention rule has been developed through long-term practice, and is intented to create a boundary between acceptable tax planning and unacceptable tax evasion. The purpose of […]
Consultation on New Rules for Contract Labour
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has submitted a White Paper regarding amendments of the Working Environment Act for consultation. The White Paper proposes an overall regulation to recurrent issues in regards to contract labour. According to The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the purpose of the White Paper is to ensure security […]
Consultation on New Rules for Intellectual Property Rights
The Ministry of Culture has submitted a White Paper regarding amendments of the Intellectual Property Rights Act on consultation. The proposal will ensure the implementation of the EU Regulation on Portability. The Portability Regulation contains rules that ensure that subscribers of portable online content services can access these services while on temporary residence outside of the their State. In early […]
Report on tax in the sharing economy
The Directorate of Taxes has delivered a report to the Ministry of Finance on the sharing economy. The report includes a feasibility study related to the reporting and payment of tax for participants in the sharing economy. The purpose of the study is to look at the fiscal challenges and opportunities of the phenomenon that […]
First female Chief Justice in Norway
Due to the mandatory retirement age, Tore Schei has now resigned after having been Chief Justice of the Norwegian Supreme Court since 2002. Toril Marie Øie has been appointed new Chief Justice. She is the first female in Norwegian history to be Chief Justice. She took up her office on 1 March 2016. Finding the […]
Modernization of the Foundations Act
To adapt the Foundations Act to today’s foundations, the Government has appointed a committee to consider changes in the Act. This is a follow-up of the governing parties’ decision to ensure that the rules for foundations as far as possible contribute to promote foundations as a form of entity. There seems to be a tendency […]
Immediate payment of penalty tax to be stopped for disputed tax claims
Pending enactment of new rules offering better protection for taxpayers who dispute tax or duty claims, the Finance Ministry has decided to stop the obligation to pay penalty tax and duty relating to disputed claims. Under current law tax and excise duty claims, including penalty taxes and penalty charges, must be paid when due even […]
Loans from limited companies to be taxed as dividend
The Government has proposed that loans given from limited liability companies to personal shareholders shall be deemed fiscally as dividend. Dividend is taxable for the personal shareholder. The new rules will come into force 7 October 2015. The proposal will hit new loans in particular but also existing loans will be comprised to the extent […]
Technology Transfer Regulation implemented
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has passed a regulation implementing the technology transfer block exemption into Norwegian competition law. Pursuant to Norway’s obligations under the EEA agreement, the domestic regulation implements Commission Regulation (EU) No 316/2014 on the application of Article 101 (3) of the EU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union […]
We are relocating to Stortingsgaten 22
Law firm Forsberg AS has relocated to Stortingsgaten 22, in the centre of Oslo. Our new and up-to-date premises are situated vis-à-vis the National Theatre, only a five minute walk from our old office. The National Theatre Station with metro and Airport Express Train connections is a mere 150 metres off. The nearest car park […]
Hiring and working time rules to be relaxed?
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has submitted a Green Paper proposing a liberalisation of the rules on working hours and temporary employment in the Working Environment Act 2005. The Green Paper also contains proposed new legislation on the penal provisions of the Working Environment Act and a proposal to increase the age limit […]
Possible to see who seeks for your tax roll
As something of an exception from the rest of the world, the general public in Norway have traditionally been entitled to check the tax rolls of any taxpayer, initially on paper at the Tax Office but since shortly after 2000 also on the Internet. The grounds for the scheme are the assumption that it makes […]
Government to scrap consumer purchase lotteries ban
Following ESA’s reasoned opinion on the Norwegian ban on the use of lotteries or prize competitions in connection with purchase of goods or services, the Government has announced it will change the Marketing Control Act. Section 18 of the Norwegian Marketing Control Act 2009 provides for a general prohibition for traders to make the participation […]
General application of collective yard agreement does not violate EEA law
The Norwegian Supreme Court recently ruled that the regulation on general application of the collective shipping and repair yard agreement to foreign workers in Norway does not violate EEA and EU law. Pursuant to the General Application of Collective Agreements Act 1993, Norway has over the years enacted a number of regulations providing that specific […]
Merger notification requirements to be eased
The Administration Minister recently confirmed that the Government will submit a White Paper proposing a significant raise in the thresholds for the requirement of notifying mergers to the Norwegian Competition Authority. The Minister expects this to result in a reduction of notifications by two thirds. The thresholds for the requirement to notify the Norwegian Competition […]
Norway to implement the EU Remedies Directive
Several important amendments of the Public Procurement Act 1999 will be enacted following the Bill submitted by The Ministry of Administration on Armistice Day. The Bill aims at implementing the de minimis rules of Directive 2007/66/EC. The Administration Minister admits that as a consequence of the change from today’ system with administrative fines imposed by […]
Compulsory retirement at 67 is lawful
The Supreme Court has recently ruled that the compulsory retirement age of 67 at insurance company Gjensidige was not unlawful. Compulsory retirement age schemes have been accepted in Norway provided that they have been made known to the employees and practiced consistently and that satisfactory occupational pension benefits have been provided for the employees. Although […]
Limited companies: Reduced capital requirement
The Government has submitted a White Paper prosing to reduce the requirement of minimum share capital in limited companies from NOK 100,000 to 30,000 (approximately USD 5,300). The proposal is expected to be enacted shortly and aims at making it more attractive for entrepreneurs in Norway to start their businesses through a Norwegian registered limited […]
Forsberg starts its business
Forsberg AS started its business on 16 August 2010 from offices in Grensen 12 in the centre of Oslo. Joint client “ownership” gives greater focus on the clients’ needs. Law firm Forsberg will from day one establish an effective organization to the benefit of clients and connections from offices in the City centre 75 m […]
