Tax bill for politician's ties to far-right site
Sweden Democrat MP Kent Ekeroth has to pay tax for money sent to his bank account as donations to two far-right websites that he claims to have nothing to do with editorially.
The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) informed Ekeroth, 31, that he has a six-digit addition to his annual income tax.
Ekeroth's bank account is linked to the site Avpixlat, where visitors can pay in donations if they choose.
"You informed us that you have had nothing to do with the work on the websites Avpixlat.info and PolitisktInkorrect.info and that you are not part of the group that run the sites," the Tax Agency wrote.
"The aim has been to allow donations without the site's authors having to abandon their anonymity."
While Ekeroth originally stated that he had neither insight or influence on how the funds are used, the Tax Agency has decided to classify money sent to the account as income, deeming the set-up "passive business".
The newspaper Aftonbladet has previously reported on the extensive ties between Avpixlat, which the tabloid described as a "xenophobic site", and the young politician.
The site's main administrator, Mats Dagerlind, earlier this year said Ekeroth did not have a central role.
"I am in charge of being in contact with Kent Ekeroth, whom a lot of people describe as the spider in the web, which he is not," Dagerlind said.
The total sum of donations sent to Ekeroth's account last year minus certain expenditures amounted to 226,540 kronor ($35,000).
The Tax Agency has taken into account certain outlays for Avpixlat's domain name and chat functions, and decided to send him a tax bill of 160,921 kronor ($25,000).
The Local/at
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The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) informed Ekeroth, 31, that he has a six-digit addition to his annual income tax.
Ekeroth's bank account is linked to the site Avpixlat, where visitors can pay in donations if they choose.
"You informed us that you have had nothing to do with the work on the websites Avpixlat.info and PolitisktInkorrect.info and that you are not part of the group that run the sites," the Tax Agency wrote.
"The aim has been to allow donations without the site's authors having to abandon their anonymity."
While Ekeroth originally stated that he had neither insight or influence on how the funds are used, the Tax Agency has decided to classify money sent to the account as income, deeming the set-up "passive business".
The newspaper Aftonbladet has previously reported on the extensive ties between Avpixlat, which the tabloid described as a "xenophobic site", and the young politician.
The site's main administrator, Mats Dagerlind, earlier this year said Ekeroth did not have a central role.
"I am in charge of being in contact with Kent Ekeroth, whom a lot of people describe as the spider in the web, which he is not," Dagerlind said.
The total sum of donations sent to Ekeroth's account last year minus certain expenditures amounted to 226,540 kronor ($35,000).
The Tax Agency has taken into account certain outlays for Avpixlat's domain name and chat functions, and decided to send him a tax bill of 160,921 kronor ($25,000).
The Local/at
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