Norway has required SAF-T Financial reporting since January 1, 2020, making it one of the earliest countries to mandate the OECD standard for all businesses above a defined turnover threshold. In January 2025, the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) introduced version 1.30 of the SAF-T Financial format, a significant update that is not backwards-compatible with the previous version. Norway’s on-demand submission model and clear technical standards make it an instructive example for countries designing their own SAF-T frameworks.
Who must comply: All enterprises with a bookkeeping obligation that store their accounting data digitally. Enterprises with turnover below NOK 5 million and fewer than 600 annual vouchers are generally exempt, but this exemption does not apply if their bookkeeping data is already stored electronically. Foreign businesses liable to tax in Norway or registered in the Norwegian VAT Register must also comply.
How Norway’s On-Demand Model Works
Unlike countries such as Poland or Romania that require periodic SAF-T submissions, Norway uses an on-demand model. Businesses are not required to file SAF-T reports on a regular schedule. Instead, they must be able to generate and provide the SAF-T Financial file when requested by the tax authority, typically in advance of a tax audit.
This approach shares similarities with Luxembourg’s FAIA, which is also provided on demand. However, while the submission trigger is reactive, the compliance requirement is proactive: businesses must maintain their accounting systems in a state of constant readiness to export compliant SAF-T XML at any time.
Version 1.30: The 2025 Update
Skatteetaten revised the SAF-T Financial format significantly in 2024, publishing version 1.30 which became mandatory for all accounting periods starting from January 1, 2025. The previous version 1.20 can still be used for prior fiscal years (2024 and earlier), but all new reporting must use the updated format.
Key changes in version 1.30 include:
- •Extended data fields: New mandatory and optional elements to capture more granular financial data.
- •Updated standard account list: Revised chart of accounts mapping to align with current Norwegian accounting standards.
- •No backwards compatibility: The scope of changes means version 1.30 files cannot be validated against the 1.20 schema, and vice versa.
- •Grace period: While mandatory from January 2025, Skatteetaten has provided guidance to help businesses transition smoothly.
Practical impact: Businesses and their software vendors need to ensure their SAF-T export modules have been updated for version 1.30. Using the old format for 2025+ periods will result in non-compliant files if requested during an audit.
What the SAF-T Financial File Contains
Norway’s SAF-T Financial file follows the OECD SAF-T structure with country-specific adaptations. It covers:
- •General Ledger: Chart of accounts, opening and closing balances, and all journal entries for the requested period.
- •Accounts Receivable: Customer master data and transaction details for sales ledger entries.
- •Accounts Payable: Supplier master data and transaction details for purchase ledger entries.
- •Fixed Assets: Asset register including acquisition costs, depreciation schedules, and disposals.
- •Inventory: Stock data covering quantities, values, and movements.
The file must be submitted in XML format and is typically provided via Altinn, Norway’s official government portal for tax and regulatory filings.
Foreign Businesses and SAF-T
Foreign enterprises that are liable to tax in Norway or registered in the Norwegian VAT Register must also comply with SAF-T Financial requirements. No special exemptions have been made for foreign businesses. This includes companies operating through a representative in Norway. Foreign entities should ensure their accounting systems can generate Norway-specific SAF-T XML, including mapping to the Norwegian standard chart of accounts.
Looking Ahead: E-Invoicing Evaluation
The Norwegian Ministry of Finance has launched an evaluation of mandatory e-invoicing and digital bookkeeping requirements. Initial proposals were expected by mid-2025, with the aim of enhancing efficiency, aligning with EU standards, and potentially saving Norwegian businesses over NOK 5 billion annually. While Norway is not an EU member state, it closely monitors EU developments including the ViDA initiative, and any future e-invoicing mandate is likely to complement rather than replace the existing SAF-T Financial requirement.
Norway in the European SAF-T Context
Alongside Denmark’s SAF-T 2.0, Norway represents the Nordic approach to digital tax compliance: clear standards, reasonable thresholds, and a focus on system readiness rather than high-frequency periodic filing. For a broader view of how SAF-T is being adopted across the continent, see our SAF-T adoption across Europe overview.