Ombudsman criticizes for faulty property assessments

The Danish Ombudsman criticizes the Valuation Authority for not sufficiently preventing issues with preliminary skewed property valuations. According to the Ombudsman, the authority knew there could be problems when land values exceeded property values, a situation which led to over 60,000 amendments. Ombudsman Niels Fenger states this process impairs public confidence in property valuations. Tax Minister Jeppe Bruus agrees with the criticism, recognizing the errors contributed to uncertainty. The situation has been chaotic from the start, particularly because the valuation system is not yet finalized, and around 1.7 million homeowners have been affected. Approximately 100,000 initial valuations had to be changed in the autumn, with another 75,000 adjusted in March, including those for agricultural properties. The Valuation Authority’s director, Poul Taankvist, acknowledges the criticism and regrets not ensuring the valuations’ quality before their release.