Denmark’s Tax Agency has admitted it made errors in a case complex involving 126 citizens who received large tax claims despite being likely victims of identity theft. Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt calls the agency’s conduct deeply objectionable.
DR reports that Skattestyrelsen has acknowledged the mistakes in a formal review of its control of money transfer businesses. The review was carried out at the request of Engel-Schmidt, who says the treatment of the citizens involved is among the worst cases he has seen.
The cases concern people who sent smaller amounts abroad through currency exchange bureaus. Their names later appeared on transfers of much larger sums that formed part of an extensive money laundering case. Skattestyrelsen concluded that tax had not been paid on those amounts.
The review follows the TV2 program Operation X, broadcast in early June 2026. According to TV2, the agency had for years demanded millions of kroner from innocent victims. Several of the citizens featured said they had been subjected to identity theft.
Police warnings not acted on
Skattestyrelsen states that it should have reacted already in 2023 to information from police about suspected widespread identity theft. Even though police backed the citizens’ accounts, that did not form part of the agency’s handling of the cases.
The agency also says it should have clarified the case complex further and assessed the consequences of decisions from the appeals body. The review finds that additional steps should have been taken in 2024 and 2025 to settle the matter with police.
Engel-Schmidt says it makes the situation worse that a television program and a ministerial request were needed before the agency admitted its errors. He states that citizens cannot reasonably expect this kind of treatment in Denmark.
Skattestyrelsen’s director, Thomas Hjortenberg, offers his deepest apology for what the affected citizens have been through. He says the agency’s errors have had major personal consequences and that it should have acted differently and far earlier. Some citizens were met with tax claims of several million kroner.
113 of 126 cases reviewed
The control effort covered 126 citizens with tax cases tied to money transfers through five money transfer companies. As of August 24, 2026, the agency had reviewed 113 of the 126 cases. It expects all cases to be completed by the end of September 2026.
Hjortenberg says the current focus is on helping those affected and returning their money as quickly as possible. He adds that legal certainty must be a cornerstone of the agency’s work, and that this standard was not met in these cases.
On the basis of the review, Skattestyrelsen will launch six concrete initiatives to strengthen legal certainty and prevent similar errors. The agency says it will learn from the mistakes documented in the report.
