When Will I Get My Tax Refund in Norway and How Can I Check the Status?

Are you waiting for a tax refund from Norway and wondering why a colleague has already received the money while you still have not? In practice, there is no single payment date for everyone. The refund appears only after the final tax assessment, that is after the skatteoppgjør (final tax assessment) is issued.

In this article, we explain when a tax refund usually arrives in Norway, how to check its status online, what can delay the payment, and what to do if the money has not reached your account.

Tax refund and skatteoppgjør - the key difference

Norwegian tax refund is tilgodebeløp (amount to be refunded). It means that during the year you paid too much tax, for example because of a tax card set too high, incorrect advance tax data, or deductions included only in the annual return.

Two documents are key:

• skattemelding (tax return) - the declaration for the previous year, where you check income, deductions, assets and debts,
• skatteoppgjør (final tax assessment) - a document that shows the final result: tax refund or restskatt (tax due).

The preliminary calculation in skattemelding can change. Only skatteoppgjør shows the final amount to be paid out or paid. If you want to assess earlier whether you can expect a refund, our article Will I have to pay or get a tax refund in Norway? will be helpful.

When does the tax refund arrive in Norway?

In 2026, payments mainly concern the assessment for income year 2025. Most people receive their skatteoppgjør between April and June 2026, and the money is paid shortly after the assessment is ready.

Some people receive their assessment later, usually between August and November. All assessments are to be sent before 1 December 2026.

The tax refund is paid to the registered bank account after the skatteoppgjør is issued. It is not possible to check in advance the exact day your assessment will be processed.

More specifically, we can expect the tax refund within a maximum of 3 weeks after receiving the skatteoppgjør. If after that time you still do not have the refund in your account - contact the tax office.

How do you check the refund status?

You can check the status online in the tax system after logging in with an electronic ID, for example BankID.

Step by step

1. Go to skatteetaten.no.
2. Log in to My tax / Min skatt.
3. Open the section for the skatteoppgjør for 2025.
4. Check whether the assessment has a ready status.
5. If you see tilgodebeløp, check the refund amount and the account for payment.

If the skatteoppgjør is not ready yet, the system may not show the final amount. In that case, you need to wait for a notification.

Where can you check whether the refund has been sent?

After logging in, you can also check the Se dine krav og betalinger service (Your claims and payments). This is especially useful when:

• the skatteoppgjør is ready, but the money is not in your account,
• you want to check whether the refund has been paid out,
• you suspect the refund was used to offset a debt,
• you want to check previous tax payments.

For security, log in only through skatteetaten.no or altinn.no. The tax office does not ask for card details, security codes, passport copies or account numbers in SMS messages or emails.

What can delay a tax refund?

The refund may arrive later for several reasons. The most common situations are:

• you made many changes in skattemelding,
• you added attachments or extra information,
• you run a business,
• you applied for an extension of the filing deadline,
• the declaration was selected for review,
• data needed to process the assessment is missing,
• you received an adjustment from NAV, a pension or a disability benefit,
• you file jointly with a spouse and the other person's return has not yet been processed (e.g. a joint loan).

The standard deadline for private individuals to review and submit skattemelding is 30 April 2026. People running a business generally have a deadline of 31 May, but in 2026 submission by 1 June 2026 is not treated as late because 31 May falls on a Sunday.

If you use deductions, for example as a pendler (a commuter or someone maintaining two households), the assessment may require a more careful review. We write more about the deductions themselves in the article What tax deductions are available in Norway for 2025?

How much money will I get and can the amount change?

The final refund amount comes from the skatteoppgjør. If you previously saw a preliminary calculation in skattemelding, treat it as an estimate.

Important rules in 2026 for the assessment for 2025:

• refund amounts below 100 NOK are not paid out,
• the refund includes interest of 3.12% per year,
• interest is generally calculated from 1 July 2026 until the skatteoppgjør is sent in 2026,
• the refund may be reduced by motregning (offset), meaning the overpayment is used to cover debts to the state or municipality.

If a smaller amount than shown in the assessment has been transferred to your account, check whether there was an offset. In such a case, there should be a separate document explaining which obligations part of the refund was used for.

Check the bank account for payment

The tax refund is paid to the registered account number. If the account is incorrect, outdated or not registered, the payment may be stopped.

After logging in to the tax system, check:

• whether the account number is entered,
• whether the account is still active,
• whether you are the account holder or have the right to use the account,
• whether the account requires a KID number for deposits, because such accounts are not suitable for refund payments.

If you cannot change the account electronically, a paper procedure may be required together with a copy of your identity document and confirmation from the bank.

PAYE - why you may not get a regular tax refund?

Many new employees from Poland choose PAYE / kildeskatt på lønn (simplified wage tax for foreign workers). Under this system, you usually do not receive a regular skattemelding or skatteoppgjør. Instead, you receive confirmation of the tax paid.

In 2026, the PAYE rate is 25% of salary. If you are exempt from Norwegian social security contributions, the rate is 17.4%. The income limit for PAYE in 2026 is 725,050 NOK, and for income year 2025 it was 697,150 NOK.

Under PAYE you do not use typical deductions, such as commuting costs, pendler status or loan interest. If you want to check whether this system is beneficial for you, read Kildeskatt 25% (PAYE) - is it worth it? Key information.

If the employer withheld too much tax under PAYE, the overpayment may be refunded, but this is a different procedure from a standard refund from the annual skatteoppgjør. A correctly registered account is still required for payment.

What should you do if the tax refund has not arrived?

If you are waiting for the money, go through this list:

1. Check whether the skatteoppgjør is ready - without a ready assessment there is no refund payment.
2. Check the bank account - the account number must be correct and registered.
3. Check Se dine krav og betalinger - you will see payments, payouts and any offsets there.
4. Compare the amount in the skatteoppgjør with the transfer - a lower payout may mean a debt offset.
5. Make sure you actually have an overpayment - the preliminary calculation may have changed after the return was processed.
6. Check whether you are under PAYE - then a standard skatteoppgjør may not be issued at all.

If you notice an error after receiving the skatteoppgjør, you can usually correct the skattemelding for the last 3 years. Corrections after the assessment can take up to 8 months.

FAQ - frequently asked questions

Summary

• The tax refund in Norway appears only after the skatteoppgjør is issued, meaning the final tax assessment.
• Most people receive their assessment between April and June 2026, and the rest no later than 1 December 2026.
• You can check the status after logging in to My tax / Min skatt and in the Se dine krav og betalinger service.
• Delays may result from corrections, audits, self-employment, NAV adjustments, an incorrect account, or a debt offset.

If you are not sure whether your assessment is correct, or you want to check why the refund has not arrived, contact us. We will help analyse the documents and possible deductions: +47 21 38 38 21

Article author: Marcin - marcin@efirma.no