Norway · Tax & Finance

Income tax. Then
wealth tax.

Norway taxes what you earn — 22% flat plus a bracket tax — and then, unusually for Europe, taxes what you own: 1% a year on net wealth above NOK 1.9 million in 2026. Here's the full 2026 picture for Americans and Canadians, from Skatteetaten's own tables.

Figures verified 9 July 2026
The key numbers · 2026
  • General income tax: 22% flat on net income — everyone pays it
  • Bracket tax on top: 1.7% to 17.8% across 5 steps, starting at NOK 226,100 — and it applies to pensions too
  • National insurance contribution: 7.6% on salary (age 17–69), 5.1% on pension income
  • Top marginal rate on salary: ≈47.4% (22 + 17.8 + 7.6)
  • Wealth tax: 1.0%/yr on net wealth above NOK 1.9M (couples: NOK 3.8M); 1.1% above NOK 21.5M
  • US FEIE for tax year 2026: $132,900 · FBAR trigger: $10,000 aggregate abroad

2026 bracket tax (trinnskatt)

Norwegian income tax has two layers. Layer one: 22% flat on net general income. Layer two: the bracket tax on gross personal income — salary and pensions alike. These are Skatteetaten's 2026 steps:

Personal incomeBracket tax rate
Up to NOK 226,1000%
NOK 226,101 – 318,3001.7%
NOK 318,301 – 725,0504.0%
NOK 725,051 – 980,10013.7%
NOK 980,101 – 1,467,20016.8%
Above NOK 1,467,20017.8%

Plus the national insurance contribution (trygdeavgift): 7.6% on salary for ages 17–69, 5.1% on pensions, 10.8% on most business income — nothing due below NOK 99,650. Deductions (personal allowance, minimum standard deduction) soften the 22% layer considerably at ordinary incomes.

The wealth tax — the one that surprises Americans

Norway is one of Europe's last countries with a genuine net wealth tax. Become tax resident and your worldwide net assets — house, brokerage account, retirement savings, cash — are assessed every year. In 2026: 0% below NOK 1.9 million (≈ $186,000; couples get NOK 3.8M jointly), then 1.0% (0.35% municipal + 0.65% state) up to NOK 21.5 million, and 1.1% above. Your primary home gets a big valuation discount; your Vanguard account doesn't. We run the numbers in the full guide →

What Americans and Canadians still owe back home

United StatesCanada
Keep filing?Yes — the US taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. FEIE ($132,900 for 2026) or foreign tax credits offset most of it; Norway's high rates usually mean credits wipe out the US bill.Generally no, once you cease Canadian tax residency — but watch departure tax on deemed disposition of assets.
TreatyUS–Norway income tax treaty in force since 1971 — one of the oldest US treaties still running. Pension and Social Security treatment has traps; get advice.Canada–Norway tax convention of 2002 (implemented by Canada's Tax Convention Act, 2002).
Accounts reportingFBAR if foreign accounts exceed $10,000 aggregate; FATCA Form 8938 thresholds apply. Norwegian banks report US persons under FATCA.Standard CRA rules until departure; T1161/T1243 territory on exit.
Social securityUS–Norway totalization agreement since 1984 — no double contributions; work credits combine.Canada–Norway social security agreement coordinates CPP/OAS. Confirm export rules with Service Canada.
Pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s: Norway taxes residents' worldwide pension income — bracket tax applies to it, with the lower 5.1% trygdeavgift. How Norway characterises IRA withdrawals and Roth accounts (and how the wealth tax counts them) is exactly the kind of question worth paying a cross-border adviser to answer before you trigger residency, not after.

The practical checklist

Exit taxes are in flux. Norway has been tightening its exit tax on unrealised gains for people who leave. If Norway might be a chapter rather than the whole book, factor the exit rules into the plan — with professional advice, as the rules have changed more than once since 2024.
In this section

Guides

★ New

The wealth tax, explained for Americans

How the 1% works, the primary-home discount, what a $750k portfolio actually pays, and the couples math.

Read the guide →
Coming soon

How Norway taxes your US retirement income

Social Security, IRAs, 401(k)s, and Roths — what's settled, what's grey, and the questions for your advisor.

Coming soon

Your first Norwegian tax return

The prefilled return, reporting foreign accounts, and the deductions newcomers miss.

Sources

  1. Bracket tax 2026: Skatteetaten (fetched 9 Jul 2026)
  2. National insurance contributions 2026 (7.6% / 5.1% / 10.8%, NOK 99,650 floor): Skatteetaten
  3. Wealth tax 2026 (thresholds and rates): Skatteetaten
  4. US side: US–Norway treaty (IRS); FEIE 2026 per Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (IRS.gov); FBAR; SSA totalization pamphlet (agreement since 1984)
  5. Canada side: Canada–Norway Tax Convention Act, 2002
  6. General rates corroborated: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Norway
This page is general information, not tax advice. Cross-border taxation is personal — engage a professional licensed on both sides before acting.
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The wealth-tax threshold moved this year. It'll move again.

NOK 1.76M became 1.9M in 2026. We track Skatteetaten's rates and every budget so you don't have to.