Swedish Left Party urged to support RUT tax deduction

An editorial argues that the RUT and ROT tax deductions for household services and craft work boost work incentives for high‑tax‑paying citizens, increase public‑sector revenue, and reduce black‑market labour. The piece contends that the deductions also help ordinary families, especially parents and the elderly, afford help with chores, thereby improving overall economic efficiency.

The author criticises the Swedish Left Party’s push to abolish the RUT (and eventually ROT) deductions as short‑sighted, noting that research cited by Professor Sören Blomquist of Uppsala University shows the deductions raise tax income, curb distortions in the tax system, and promote labour specialisation.

The editorial calls for the Left Party to embrace, rather than reject, the RUT and ROT schemes as beneficial for both workers and the public sector.