Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway revokes state-authorised accountant approval after final conviction for complicity in grossly negligent tax fraud

The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway has revoked the approval of a state-authorised accountant after a final court conviction for complicity in grossly negligent tax fraud. It concluded that the offence means the individual no longer satisfies the statutory conditions for approval and that withdrawal is necessary to preserve trust in the accounting profession and the public authorisation regime. The supervisory report says the conviction related to cash payments for cleaning services that were not invoiced or recorded, helping conceal taxable turnover and income and resulting in evaded VAT and tax of NOK 36,308 over a three-year period. The court imposed a 30-day prison sentence suspended for two years, a fine of NOK 20,000 and confiscation of NOK 28,279. The authority treated the case as especially serious because tax compliance is central to the work of state-authorised accountants and the individual was the engagement-responsible accountant for the company that supplied the cleaners. As a result, the person can no longer use the title state-authorised accountant, run an accounting business as a sole proprietor, or act as engagement-responsible accountant or head of quality control in an accounting firm, though employment in such a firm remains possible. The decision may be appealed within three weeks of receipt, and the individual may apply for deferred implementation.