Reporting external trade in services and purchase and sale of goods outside of Norway

The purpose of the survey is to provide data for the production of statistics on Norwegian enterprises’ economic relations with other countries. The reported data will be used to compile quarterly and annual balance of payments (BoP) statistics including Norway’s international investment position, produce statistics that are important for the implementation of macro economic policy, carry out analyses of economic relations with other countries, and fulfil international obligations to institutions such as Eurostat, the IMF, UN and OECD

In this survey we ask for the value (in 1 000 NOK) of the reporting units income for exports of services abroad and expenditures for imports of services from abroad with the exception of financial services, business trips abroad and insurance premiums. Furthermore goods / materials that are included in the delivery should be added in, this applies for instance for:

• Purchase and resale of goods abroad without processing,

• Purchase and resale of goods processed abroad,

• Building and construction activities,

• Installation and assembly services,

• Repair and maintenance services

• Rebuilding and outfitting services,

• Contractual work and other industrial services.

For details on all types of services included in this survey please see the introduction and guidelines.

All data should be stated as positive. In conjunction with correction of previous entries we ask that this should be done by reducing the figures for the quarter concerned, or a special comment can be written in the form. For instance, corrections of previously reported income (exports) within the same statistical year should be subtracted from the reported income/exports in previous quarter. This should be done by opening the respective row by clicking on the padlock in the right margin of the last available form.

The reporting unit is the Norwegian part of the legal entity, i.e. the legal entity excluding affiliates abroad. In the statistics, these units are called enterprises. Affiliates abroad are regarded as foreign enterprises, while affiliates of foreign enterprises in Norway are regarded as Norwegian enterprises. In the survey, we ask for information on Norwegian enterprises’ transactions and relations with foreign countries, including transactions and relations with affiliates abroad. All Norwegian enterprises with transactions and relations with foreign countries are therefore of current interest for the surveys. Enterprises that are to report information are in the following referred to as respondents or reporting enterprises.

In this report we ask for data for each quarter (01.01 – 31.03, 01.04 - 30.06, 01.07 – 30.09 and 01.10 – 31.12). The transactions are connection with trade in services are to be reported in the quarter in which they are delivered or received. Data submission is, in principle, independent of the invoice date. However, the invoice date can usually be directly used for the periodicity.

Amounts booked in foreign currencies should be converted and reported in NOK. The Norwegian Central Bank’s website (www.norges-bank.no) contains an overview of daily exchange rates and average monthly and annual exchange rates.  

If the reporting enterprise has imports of services valued at NOK 1 200 000 (1.2 million), please enter 1200.

Submitted forms and receipts are located under ‘Archive’ in the enterprise’s Altinn inbox.

If you wish to make corrections to a form that has already been submitted, retrieve the form under ‘Archive’ and click on the button ‘Create a new copy’. Then you can adjust the incorrect figures (open by clicking on the padlock in the right margin) and send in the form again. NB! After a new survey has been sent out for a new quarter we ask that the last transmitted form should be used for corrections of figures for previous quarters within the statistical year. Open the respective row by clicking on the padlock in the right margin of the form.

After submission, you will receive a receipt number (beginning with the letters AR). This receipt can be sent to any chosen e-mail address.

Statistics Norway collects information from a sample of enterprises. The sample is retrieved from the Register of Legal Entities, Statistics Norway’s register of all Norwegian-registered legal entities in both the private and public sector.

In addition, the sample is based on a number of criteria. Furthermore, the need to achieve a certain degree of coverage within a particular industry will also have a large impact on the composition of the sample.

Statistics Norway does not grant extensions for this survey. If you do not respond within the deadline, you will automatically receive a reminder giving you a final deadline. For extraordinary cases, contact Statistics Norway.

In order for the statistics to be as accurate as possible, the information provided needs to be correct and complete. In addition, all enterprises that are selected to participate must respond. All types of non-response reduce the accuracy and hence the quality of the statistics.

The information is obtained under the provisions of Act no. 54 of 16 June 1989 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act) section 2-2 (1), and a letter of delegation from the Ministry of Finance of 13 February 1990.

If you believe that you are not subject to the duty to provide information or that you are not legally permitted to provide information, you may appeal the order within 3 weeks. The right to appeal does not apply to the question of whether the duty to provide information is reasonable or necessary.

Pursuant to section 2-4 of the Statistics Act, all information is treated as confidential. Statistics Norway will use the information to prepare official statistics, and for other purposes such as research and public planning. The information will be stored and, where relevant, destroyed in a responsible manner.

Statistics Norway has a statutory right to collect information under the Statistic Act of 16 June 1989 no 54, § 2-2, cf. Royal Decree of 16 June 1989 no 387 and Delegation Decision of 13 February 1990 no 1228. Reported data will only be used in the production of official statistics and will be treated with strict confidentiality. Results from the surveys will only be published as aggregates, and it will not be possible to derive information about the reporting enterprise’s economic activities from the published data. The reporting enterprise must make sure that the data gives a correct description of the reporting enterprise’s external trade in services before submitting it to Statistics Norway. We also recommend that the reporting enterprises check new figures against any corresponding reports that have previously been sent to Statistics Norway. The reporting enterprises have a duty to ensure that they use adequate resources and routines which ensure the quality of the submitted data. We recommend that the reporting enterprises store the submitted data in case Statistics Norway has any questions about the data after they have been submitted.

Compulsory fines payable to the state may be imposed if the obligation to provide information is not met before the expiry of the deadline for each quarterly survey.

Yes. There is no need to fill out the whole form in a single session. The form will store the information that has already been input.

Yes. Statistics Norway will send ordinary reminders along with the administrative decision to impose a compulsory fine to enterprises that have not answered the survey within the initial deadline. If data is submitted by the second and final deadline, the compulsory fine will be withdrawn. If an enterprise fails to meet the second deadline, the matter will be forwarded to the Norwegian National Collection Agency for further processing.

Pursuant to section 3-2 of the Statistics Act, a compulsory fine may be imposed as a one-off fine or a running fine. The fine will increase if the enterprise fails to provide complete information for several consecutive periods. In cases where an enterprise repeatedly fails to provide complete information over an extended period of time, a fixed compulsory fine may be imposed.

The duty to provide information means that, in some central statistical areas, Statistics Norway has the right to impose a compulsory fine on enterprises that do not complete the survey within the specified deadline. This survey is one of the central statistical areas. No financial compensation is given for answering the survey.

For more information see:

• The duty to provide information, and the right to collect information: Statistics Act, Section 2-2

• The right to impose a compulsory fine: Statistics Act, Section 2-3

• The right to enforce the collection of a fine and demand payment for costs: Tax Administration Act

• The right to appeal an administrative decision: Public Administration Act, Chapter VI

The information is to be reported electronically via Altinn. Enterprises can access the survey form in their Altinn inbox.

Note that the person answering the form must have the role necessary to access the enterprise’s Altinn inbox. If you do not have the necessary role, contact senior management, who will assign this to you.

For more information, refer to the guidelines ‘How to answer surveys in Altinn on behalf of an enterprise’ in the column at the right.