I used to chuckle over the long lines of people handing in their tax declarations at the last moment - the streets would thick with traffic, people driving by the mighty taxation building Skatteskrapan, the only skyskraper on Söder and handing their declaration to staff standing on the street.
There would be music, stands selling hotdogs and who knows what else - you could almost be mistaken for thinking it was a festival. Are the Swedes so happy to pay tax?

Nowdays the Swedish National Tax Board is located in newer, more modern offices a block or so away from the skyskraper. Nowdays this highrise is the home of 600 or so students with the best view of Stockholm, shops, bars and restaurants.

The Tax Board have not only more modern offices but their ways of working have modernised over the years too. Lars Epstein remembers when tax day was February 15th, when the streets were covered in snow and the queues miles long as the majority of Stockholmers not only left it to the last day by hundreds handed it in at the last minute. With the deadline being midnight there were a lot of people on Götgatan all night long. He remembers the orchestra playing, the magicians and their tricks, all the hotdog carts and the alcohol free glögg.

Since the good ol' days we have seen the introduction of pre-printed declarations that require little more than a signature, and then the introduction of the telephone, the internet and the sms declarations!! Each year it gets easier. I can't help but wonder if there is anywhere else in the world where you can do your tax declaration with an SMS? Is there anywhere else in the world where the government knows your every move to the extent that no other information is needed? Big brother is indeed watching....

Having laughed in the past at people leaving it to last minute it was my turn this year, and I was still working on my declaration during the day! Somehow I thought I had another few days - kind of nasty to make it the day after a nice long weekend don't you think? It was my first business declaration in many years - so this time it was not just a case of signing on the dotted line.

I had expected to have to fill it all out on paper as I had a whole series of extra forms that had to be filled in and changes that had to be made on the main declaration, but was pleasantly surprised to be able to do it on the internet. Anyone is able to submit their declaration online - all you need is your national identity number and the code printed on your tax declaration, enabling you to make a few basic changes to the form.

E-legitimation (or e-ID) on the other hand opens up a whole range of opportunities. E-ID is a certificate downloaded off the net onto your computer and in conjunciton with your password it enables you to identify yourself when dealing with many of the government institutions. I'm sure it sends shivers down the spines of all the internet-security-skeptics but it requires the user to have both the downloaded certificate and the password.

So with my e-ID I was not only able to go in and fill out all the forms electronically but I could save them and go back and make changes. What's more I can still go back and make changes up until June something - but then there is no guarantee of getting your return back before Midsummer. It takes away the panic - as long as you get it in by May 4th you can procrastinate a little longer.....

I found it fairly easy to navigate my way through the documents and fill in all the required information - not bad for someone who used to have a phobia!! And was able to ask a very accommodating friend for help with the bits I didn't quite understand. All in all I have to say it is a whole lot easier than it was when I ran a business 10 years ago - which confirms the promises over the years of simplifying things for small business have been fulfilled - at least to some extent.

According to Internet World 3.6 million people had submitted their declaration electronically as of Sunday night. As I sat there Monday without any problems accessing my documentation I couldn't help but wonder what sort of capacity Skatteverket had and would love to know how many others were online at the same time as I was. Despite this record number of internet users only some 857 000 had used their e-ID so far and the figures were 5% under the anticipated 60% and much lower that the long term goal of 80%. I wonder how long it will be before they stop sending out the paper declarations?

As Lars Epstein says: The party on Söder on tax day is over. Click on this photo to see his photos of the deserted streets. The party it well and truly over!

Hälsoframjandet is a national member organisation for any member of the general public interested in health. They offer a range of member benefits but primarily work towards a biologically safer environment free from chemicals in food, air, earth and water; healthy eating habits and equal rights to motion and exercise. If you are interested in this area and can read Swedish their site is well worth looking at.

Regional Authorities governing health (Landstingen)
Most healthcare is managed at a regional level (landsting) with some very specific bits delegated to local level (kommun). However, this does not mean that the government plays no role in setting policy or standards. General policy and guidelines are determined at national level – regions merely decide how to implement the policy within the guidelines. This allows them some freedom to adapt their priorities as appropriate for that area.The link will help you find the local authority for your region.

 
The Swedish National Institute of Public Health (SNIPH) is the main national authority. The SNIPH is a state agency under the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The Institute is responsible for monitoring and co-ordinating of the national public health policy. They are also a national centre of knowledge on public health to all levels of government, monitoring and developing knowledge within the sphere of public health  as well as being responsible for supervision in the areas of alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco.

More information on health and all aspects of medicine is also available through patient information on-line or PION. This is a database of organisations, books, articles, brochures, magazines, dvds etc covering issues of health and sickness is both a search engine, and a collection of online resources as well as a register of material that can be borrowed from participating libraries.

If you need to be referred to a specialist for treatment, your doctor should notify the specialist who will then arrange an appointment for you.

It is possible to go straight to the specialist in many cases but you usually go through your local doctor who will issue a referral.

Fees for specialists are usually on two levels, those with and those without a referal, with the latter incurring a much higher fee.

In some cases, the health authority may be prepared to allow you to stay at home for treatment and recuperation. Nurses would be provided for the care and the doctors would visit you for treatment. This is the exception rather than the rule but is worth enquiring about if you feel your condition may be better treated that way.

http://www.vardguiden.se/templates/Article.aspx?Articleid=3453

http://techworld.idg.se/2.2524/1.192150/intelprodukt-okar-mojligheterna-for-vard-i-hemmet

If you are admitted for a planned procedure, you will be given details of which department to check in to and when. Take with you your identification card and patient card (see below). You will be charged a nominal overnight fee, which is currently a maximum of 80kr.

It is common practice to share rooms with at least one other person but these rooms normally have an en-suite shower-room and toilet. For food, there is a choice of menus (and size of meals) available but this may not always be made clear to you (in which case they default to the standard). Ask a nurse where you can check out the options and sign up. While food quality probably varies between hospitals, our experience has not been positive so you might also want to take a back-up supply. There should also be a kitchen and eating area where you can prepare your own food or make tea, coffee and snacks as provided by the hospital. If you’re well enough to get out of bed, you may also be expected to go and collect your own meals from here – check when you arrive. You may even be expected to change your own bed linen – all in the name of keeping costs down.

As far as medical care is concerned, don’t expect much in terms of emotional support from the medical staff, it is better to be pleasantly surprised. Doctors generally visit on a daily basis but this may be a very brief encounter – although they will ensure they keep you monitored even if that doesn’t involve a personal visit. Nurses rotate shifts and so you will not necessarily see the same nurse at the same time each day – in fact, it is possible to be in for several days without seeing the same face twice. This means you will find it tough to build up a relationship with your ‘carers’. If you want to know more about your treatment, make sure you ask and be persistent.