Paying Taxes and Accessing Welfare across Borders

Increasing numbers of people lead lives that span nation-state boundaries. Yet, nation-state bureaucracies are predominantly set up to deal with populations residing within national borders. How do people living across state borders experience encounters with state bureaucracies? This policy brief identifies some of the key challenges involved in encounters with Norwegian government institutions, drawing on interviews with people who are living their lives partly in Norway, and partly in another country or other countries. The challenges experienced by transnationals in communication with the Norwegian Labour Welfare Administration (NAV) and the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) suggest a need for enhanced information efforts in a complex regulatory landscape.