Inheritance tax in Norway 2026

Norway abolished inheritance and gift tax from 2014: transfers at death and lifetime gifts of any size pass at 0%.

Two successors do the taxing instead: heirs take over the deceased's cost basis (so latent gains stay taxable at 22%/37.84% on later sale), and inherited wealth joins the heir's ~1% annual wealth tax.

At a glance

top rate: 0% — no inheritance or gift tax
entry band: 0% on gifts of any size
tax year basis: Not applicable — no tax event at death
filing deadline: None for the transfer itself
residency basis: Applies to residents and non-residents alike
regime flag: Carry-over basis + wealth tax replace death duties

Rates

Death and gifts (2026)

Rate	Base	Applies to
0%	—	Inheritances and lifetime gifts of any size
22% / 37.84% later	Gain since the original purchase	Heirs' eventual sales — cost basis carries over (continuity principle)
≈ 1% annually	Net wealth above NOK 1.9 million	The heir's ongoing wealth tax on what they keep

Thresholds & allowances

Home exemption interplayInherited homes get market-value basis if the deceased could have sold tax-free
The continuity principle yields where the gain was exempt anyway

Residency

Residency trigger

No tax attaches to the transfer regardless of residence; the relevant questions are the heir's future capital gains and wealth-tax position.

Non-resident treatment

Foreign heirs owe Norway nothing at death; an exit-tax deferral held by the deceased survives only if heirs are Norwegian-resident.

Notes

Carry-over basis makes gifting shares no escape — the recipient inherits the original cost and the shielding history.
The wealth tax is Norway's real intergenerational levy: 1% a year above NOK 1.9 million reaches family wealth annually rather than once at death.
Reintroduction of inheritance tax is a recurring political debate — worth watching for planning horizons.
Cross-border heirs should check their own country's rules; Norway not taxing doesn't stop the heir's state from taxing.

FAQ

Does Norway have inheritance tax?

No — abolished from 2014. Heirs instead inherit the deceased's cost basis (so a later sale is taxed on the full historic gain at 22%/37.84%) and pay the ~1% annual wealth tax above NOK 1.9 million.

Are gifts taxed in Norway?

No gift tax — 0% on any amount. The recipient takes over the giver's cost basis, keeping the future capital gains bill alive.

Figures: tax year 2026, compiled from public sources. Not tax advice.

See inheritance tax in other countries

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