About this bill
Finance Committee rejects bid to eliminate oil firms' marketing tax deductions
The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs recommended that parliament reject a private member's bill from seven MPs seeking to remove the deduction right in petroleum tax for marketing and lobbying expenses. The committee majority, comprising Labour, Progress, Conservative, Centre and Christian Democratic parties, argues that oil companies' deduction rights follow the same rules as other firms, that the deduction does not constitute a subsidy, and that petroleum tax should be predictable. The minority tabled several competing proposals: the Socialist Left, Red and Green parties jointly backed four proposals for stricter limits, clearer deduction criteria and greater transparency on marketing costs, while the Socialist Left and Green parties separately proposed eliminating deductions for reputation management, marketing and lobbying altogether. The Green Party also tabled a standalone proposal to deny deductions for membership fees in political advocacy organisations. The Liberal Party supported only the proposal for stricter limits on intercompany service allocations.