Seafood Norway is not convinced by the Ministry of Finance’s “prodfish” move

The ministry has the opportunity to lay down guidelines on how the Normsprisrådet should set the prices.

As a result of the adopted ground rent taxation, a Normprisråd must be established which will determine the price that forms the basis for the tax calculation. In the worst case, this can have a negative effect on the pricing of damaged fish and fish with wounds, so-called production fish. Fish Pool’s managing director, Søren Martens, has claimed that the Ministry of Finance has relinquished control of the council. The ministry believes that the production fish challenge can be solved by imposing special guidelines.

Also read: The Ministry of Finance disagrees with the Fish Pools manager about the Normprisrådet

Will be difficult
The Ministry of Finance’s references to provisions in the Tax Act regarding the possibility of laying down guidelines for the Normprisrådet’s work do not reassure Sjømat Norge. They are not assured that the council will succeed in its work.

– Seafood Norway is concerned that the system of Normprisråd and norm prices could lead to systematic overtaxation of the farmers. We think it will be difficult for the council to set prices from 1 July, department head Martine Werring-Westly says to iLaks.

Systematic overtaxation
As a result of the winter’s record levels of production fish, the industry is concerned about how this may affect when the Normprisrådet has to determine the prices that form the basis for calculating the basic rent tax. Sjømat Norge fears that the pricing model will be difficult to follow up.

– We have calculated that the corresponding figures in the aquaculture sector will be the reporting of over 130,000 transactions to the standard price council for aquaculture, which must set over 450 standard prices, Werring-Westly explained.

Also read: “Prodfisk” can cause a tax blow: – We are very concerned that standard prices will lead to systematic over-taxation