Division of loans and interest when you’ve taken out a joint loan with someone

If you’ve taken out a joint loan with someone, for example your spouse or parents, you should check that the loan and interest is divided correctly between you in the tax deduction card and the tax return.

Does this apply to me?

Everyone who has a loan with someone else should check that the division is correct, both in the tax return and the tax deduction card.

You must do this to ensure you pay the right tax.

You can claim a deduction for interest on a loan (debt). This means that you pay less tax.

How to make the division

You can freely divide loans and interest if you’re: 

  • married

  • Two partners of the same sex who registered a partnership before the new Marriage Act in 2008.

  • To be considered spouse-equivalent cohabitants, at least one of you must have applied for or receive a National Insurance pension or an early-retirement pension (AFP). In addition, you must either: 

    • have been previously married or registered in a partnership

    or 

    • have or have had joint children

This applies regardless of how the loan is divided in the bank, or of who's actually paid what.

It’s especially important to check how the loan has been divided if one of you has a low income or receives pension payments. If you have a low income, you may not get the full benefit of the deduction for interest on the loan. It can then be a good idea to change the division so that the spouse with the highest income gets a bigger share of the loan and interest on the loan, and thereby a greater deduction.

Read more about:

division of income, expenses, and wealth 

tax rules for pensioners 

Cohabiting partners or others who have a joint loan should divide the loan equally between themselves unless they have a different agreement.

  • If two people are responsible for the loan, each person has a share of 50 percent. If three people are responsible for the loan, each person has a share of 33.3 percent, and so on.
  • It does not matter who's actually paid the interest. It’s the share or any other agreement that determines how you should make the division.

This applies regardless of how much you pay and even if you do not pay anything. Most people are co-borrowers, not guarantors. This could, for example, be parents who are responsible for their child’s loan, even if the child pays the whole loan. The parents are then normally co-borrowers.

If you’re a guarantor and not a co-borrower, you’re only responsible for the loan if the borrower does not pay and the guarantor’s responsibility is effectuated. Therefore, you’re not entitled to the whole deduction for interest before you take over the responsibility for the loan. Then you’re only entitled to a deduction for interest that's accrued after you took over the responsibility for the loan.

Check your tax deduction card and tax return

You should have the same division of loans and interest in the tax deduction card and the tax return. If not, one of you may have to pay underpaid tax. Both you and the person you have a joint loan with must check the information in the tax deduction card and the tax return and make changes if there are any errors.

In the tax deduction card

Loans and interest is pre-filled based on the previous tax assessment. This means that the tax deduction card for 2025 uses the same division that you had in the tax assessment notice for 2023, which you received in 2024. If you’re two co-borrowers and the loan was split 50/50 in the 2023 tax assessment notice, the loan and interest will be split 50/50 in the tax deduction card as well.

In the tax return

Loans that you have taken up as joint loans will be divided equally between the co-borrowers in the tax return. This means that if two people have a loan together, each of your tax returns are now pre-filled with 50 percent of the loan. If three people have a loan together, you each gets 33.3 percent, and so on. The interest is also divided equally.

 

If the division is incorrect, you can change it yourself in the tax deduction card and tax return.

There are two things you need to look out for: 

  1. All co-borrowers must change so that the sum of the loan and interest amount to 100 percent. If you reduce your share, your co-borrower must increase theirs and vice versa. 

  2. Make sure to change both the tax deduction card and tax return. If your division is not the same in the tax deduction card and tax return, one of you may have underpaid tax and the other will receive a tax refund. 

In the tax return, you only need to change your percentage, while in the tax deduction card, you must calculate and enter the amount of the loan and interest yourself. 

Log in to change your tax deduction card and tax return. 

What to do if you

Loans and interest on loans from the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will only be stated on the main borrower in the tax return. Others who are responsible for the loan are guarantors, not co-borrowers. You can change the division yourself in the tax return.

If one of you are not liable for tax in Norway, you must divide the loan equally between you. This also applies if you’re married.

If your previous partner does not want to change the loan and interest on the loan in the tax deduction card and the tax return, you can still change it.

If two people are responsible for the loan, you'll each have a share of 50 percent. It does not matter who's actually paid the interest. It’s the share or any other agreement that determines how you should make the division.

You do not have to send us proof of this, but you may be requested to submit documents to prove your statements. This could, for example, be an agreement that shows how the loan is divided, and which is signed by all the co-borrowers.