Agency rule leaves Swedish toddler 'nameless'
Published: 17 Jul 09 16:17 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/20758/20090717/
An arbitrary rule administered by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) has left a two-year-old girl nameless, and her parents with a 2000 kronor ($255) fine.
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But the agency rejected the name they chose for their daughter because it did not comply with a rule specifying that the child must take the mother’s surname if the parents have different surnames.
According to the rule, when parents are unmarried, and have not taken a common name, it is not possible to give the child a middle name.
The father’s surname instead becomes the child’s middle name.
Thus, in the eyes of the Tax Agency, the toddler must be called Celina Schneider Cruz.
Celina’s parents have persevered, however, repeatedly sending back the form with the name they have chosen for their daughter, who turns two in September.
And each time the form is again rejected by the agency.
“Every three months we get a letter from the Tax Agency that we have to change the name order, and now we've been fined. It’s so ridiculous,” Morten Schneider told the newspaper.
Every year, Swedish tax authorities, who are charged with maintaining the country's national population registry, handle thousands of surname changes, many of which are problematic, for one reason or another.
Hundreds of these disputes go unresolved for so long that an injunctive fine is eventually issued.
In the last week alone, ten people were issued such fines just in Malmö, according to Skånska Dagbladet.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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What wrong with that?
Dont understand why people create a load of unnecessary paperwork when they have been notified that this is the law. They probably got fined in the end for wasting tax payers money trying to force their own will through.
Cruz and Schneider, are these Swedish names?
It sounds like these arbitrary and ridiculous naming laws are costing Swedish taxpayers money, not the people who refuse to comply with them.
Their names or whether they are Swedish or not have nothing to do with this. Of course you know that being Swedish doesn't make you blonde and blue eyed. It doesn't make you christian. And it doesn't mean you are named Johan Svensson. They could very well be SWEDISH.
I happen to be in the same situation as these two, except that I am married. Our child will be named with my wife's surname first and mine last. I hope that's ok with tax authority. If not, we would fight it in the very same way. Good for them.
i ve seen places where there is no regualation on names, and you see kids life´s ruined because their parents are idiots who give them names like alka seltzer, 4real , osama bin satan , michael jackson gmail , and so on.
You are married, your child can have your name.
Even then - as it said in the article, they could choose a common name e.g. Schneider. The problem would have been solved, so they cannot even say the authorities are biased against unmarrieds.
They could have fixed this easily [1] marry [2] common name [3] take Schneider Cruz and let the child change the name later.
There is nothing more pathetic, than watching some forkwit take on bureaucracy (in any country) on a half-assed point, which is in actual fact, a mute point (see [1]-[3]).
Guess what we played mail ping pong and eventually lost. Surprise.
If we choose to live here, then we respect the laws of the host country. The Law is not an al la carte situation....not, I will live in Sweden, but I will dictate the laws that I'm willing to respect.
But honestly this is a non-story and just shows that Sweden has closed for July.
To leave this baby nameless is horrible. What difference does it make in the whole world we share, if the parents are not married? I think some of the old time a**backwards laws need to be changed to reflect on this time. I know many many people who have very active, healthy families that are NOT married.
Guess what, they are Swedish! Oh the horror!!
If my Mom were here she could tell all of you about growing up in Alabama before blacks were allowed to use the same drinking fountains. Times are changing old moldies. Get with it or please, jump off the boat so we can make changes that are needed.
Inletwatcher
But to keep it terse, its how Swedish (slowly evolving) custom clashes with modern ideas and with the changes seemingly demanded by multiculturalism. Some discussion on how and how fast should changes be made might be more useful. Would no rules at all be helpful ?
It seems to have worked for a long time.
Also - for what its worth - I didn't see Moaca's (sp) post regarding the origin of the spawn's parents as racist (or whatever...). It's long been noted that many people with non Scandinavian names have been frustrated by the fact that they may be discriminated against since they don't sound like they are from the mother land.
"Ok here's your 7000 kronor every month you money grabbing b#%tards now f#%k of and dont tell me what I can call my kid you interfering condescening a%&holes"
But no. In a so called "free" country there is a law which lets Mr Taxman have a say in your kids name. Jeez.
I can understand it if someone were to call there kid something really offensive. We dont really want Mr Klu Klux Svensson running arround the place now do we? But otherwise leave people alone... and get this... they fine people leaving their kid "nameless". Well its nameless coz you wouldnt let the parents call their kid a perfectly reasonable name. Fascists.
Inlet... The kid has a name... its whatever the parents chose it to be. The problem is the numbnuts at the tax office.
Now what about something constructive ...
As for the dumb law itself. Well up until recently there was a law which meant shooting a welshman with a bow and arrow on the steps of a certain english church on the first saturday of each month was legal (or something like that). Well you'll never guess what! There were no incidences of archery related genocide commited in this parish in living memory (perhaps even longer). You know why?... Because it was a stupid law.
I mean really... checking to see a name is on the "approved" list... Stalin would have been proud!
We knew nothing of the law about children of unmarried parents having to take the mother's surname - and we asked at Social Styrelsen when we registered my sambo as the father - and they didn't mention it.
Shame not to get this sorted for nearly 2 years. Nationality, religion etc. seem irrelevant. Skatteverket has never been consistent when we have had to deal with them over other issues - seems to be a case of the mood of the person who deals with your case...
Personally I think Celina Schneider Cruz sounds much better than Celina Cruz Schneider, so Skatteverket is really doing them a favour. :D
I perfectly understand why not Nike, or Micheal Jackson, or Metalica... but interfering with a culturally based naming preference is just ridiculous.
Of course, how thoughtless of us. Why aren't we more accepting of their culture? Our culture and customs are of course irrelevant. People can dislike the rule as a rule, but don't go into this "it's against our culture" bullshit, thanks. By the way, if they were "Spanish traditionalists" they would be married and not registered as sambo, so your point is moot...
How do you think tracing your ancestry would look like today if there was no common naming procedure? Such procedures have always existed. If a couple is married the child can take either the mother's or father's name since the fact that they are married is kept on record. But in a sambo relationship it is standard for children to take the mother's name for record-keeping. If you disagree with this you have an option - sign a marriage certificate. I don't see why people feel the need to argue about such trivial things. Your future generations will thank you for it.
As fatuious arguements go that is a cracker. Are you really telling me that you best reason curtailing peoples freedom to name thier children is that it would make it hard to trace their ancestry? Dear oh dear.
Fortuneatly we have this thing called records... Amazingly these days we write the liniage of kids down on paper and in databases. If we need some info... well we look it up and guess what... future generations will be able to as well.
Some people have ethical or moral objections to the idea of marriage... but hey just throw these aside coz some moron says you cant name your kid the way you want to.
Please mate... do yourself a favour and engage your brain... your future generations as well as readers of this forum will thank you for it...
Yeah, in computer databases. Good luck with that. You're assuming that in 500 years people will this have access to the information on computer systems that we have today...
No they don't. They have an objection to the tradition of marriage. No one has a moral objection to signing a piece of paper, even if you like to believe they do for the sake of argument. If the name means that much to them they would do it.
You sound pissed. Ad hominem.
As for your geniology issue. Well I cant say that it appeals to me more than just an idle curiosity as to who my ancestors were. It certainly isnt worth me curtailing peoples freedoms in order to make my personal little hobbies a bit easier!
And yeah, I am a bit pissed off. I'm annoyed that you think that your silly pass time is more important than other peoples freedoms...
Tell you what. You name your kids according to some silly and arcaic legal quirk so that Kaethar the 22nd can quickly locate you on his family tree and leave the rest of us to exercise the thing called freedom that so many of my ancesters have fought to achieve...
You sure this is Sweden we're talking about?
And herein lies the problem. Your view that a standard naming system "curtails peoples freedoms."
Archaic? No, this is a modern rule. In the past the state didn't recognise sambos, for a start... Back in the day a son would be given their dad's name as a last name with - son at the end. Names were later standardised and passed on through the father. Today both married men and women can pass down their names and sambos pass down the mothers name. Easy.
Next you'll be quoting the American constitution.
To have some idiot telling you what you can and cant call your kid because it makes their hobby a little bit easier is offensive as it means theat the aforementioned idiot believes easing his hobby is of greater value than the parents freedom to name their own child. Your best arguement is negated by the idea (maybe your mother did not instill this one into you) to mind your own f%&king (yes, I'm swearing alot today) business.
The fact this is a law is the shocking thing. By the way another system of standardised nameing was introduced by another famous government. I wont let on as to who they were, but their leader didnt shave his top lip and wasnt popular at sinagogues...
Hitler apparently improved Germany's infrastructure too, which we clearly should avoid doing because Hitler did it. Your posts reek of post-colonial mentality. Where are you from? (I'm actually interested)
And this is the biggest load of opinionated rubbish I've seen for a while. Hobby ? Mind your own business ? Thats does not even come close to arguing your case.
I would accept that there is an arguement to stop people calling their kids something really wierd or what could cause them problems in thier lives.
As for mind your own business... that holds a a perfectly reasonable arguement. Look i dont care if you like collecting stamps, growing tomatoes or sticking ketchup bottles up your bottom. If it doesnt effect me or harm anyone else... knock yourself out. Kaethars arguement that the freedom to name your kid what you want should be certailed as it would make his geniology research (or hobby) harder is about as vacuous and downright stupid as anything I have seen for a while.
If you follow this rather facile logic, you would end up banning just about everything. Without wanting to mix treads, but I like for example to point out the stupidity of religious belief but hey, that makes it harder for the god squad to brainwash people into supernatural hokus pokus. So hey ... why not impinge on my freedom of speech and ban me...
In general, we should refrain from controling and limiting people and thier choices especially if these choices neither hurt or effect anyone else. If you went round to someones home and told them they couldnt call their kid ...i dont know.. Fred.. because you didnt like the name you would probably get what you deserved... a punch on the nose. So you hide behind a silly but nevertheless zealously enforced law... its pathetic and cowardly.
Saying that, if I had been told the Kids couldn't have had my Surname, I too would have played merry hell, so I don't blame these Parents for doing so also. Its a bloody stupid archaic law, which obviously is not upheld consistently, and as such should be done away with as soon as possible.
Why do some people always insist that The Law is Perfect and Unchangable and Given to us From Our Esteemed Forebears For Our Own Benefit?
With that type of attitude there would be no gay marriage in Sweden today, women wouldn't vote, etc.
To be "offended" that someone would feel like their freedom is being impinged by this law just because there are places with less freedoms than Sweden is ridiculous. Law and society never stop changing and to suggest that people should just sit back and say nothing when they feel their freedoms are being trampled on is unrealistic. Luckily, people never do that, and in so doing create a more vibrant society.
No, there won't be change if people don't protest - and most people don't. You have every right to complain about it all you want just as I have every right to disagree with you.
Laws change throughout time, as has this one. Could it be that most people in Sweden see no problem with this law?
You find it ridiculous, but I don't. And this is because, again, I do not consider this story a case of "infringement on freedoms."
Society is full of violence, war, drug abuse, dishonesty, unfairness, pain, suffering , starvation and you are bothered that someone calls their kid Celina Schneider Cruz instead of Celina Cruz Schneider. Crawl back under whichever rock you previouisly gibbered under..
In the mean time more reasoned and dare i say it intelligent folk will see just how f&%king (yep did it again) stupid this law and its misguided supporters are and at least comprehend the idea of change.
No, I'm not bothered by it at all - you are. You are making it your problem by disagreeing with the given standard. Whilst you're off protesting that I'll be off protesting against the violence, drug abuse, dishonesty, unfairness, pain, suffering , and starvation in Swedish society.
Like I said - clearly this is a difference of opinion. If you feel strongly about it go ahead and fight for it but don't expect it to be a given that everyone will agree with you.
You've got to be kidding me... No, it's ethno-centric to demand your name fit "Spanish naming traditions" in Sweden. This rule applies to all Swedish citizens and it's anything but ethno-centric. If you take on Swedish citizenship you belong to the Swedish state and you are their responsibility.
Swedish citizens are all from Sweden. Obviously. When you trace ancestry you go by nationality and official documents belonging to each state - not by ethnicity.
Yes it is. You might disagree with it because it is their place. This is Sweden - before becoming a citizen you should be aware of the rules we have within this country and realise that the state has a lot of control here.
Our two children have my last name as the surname while my sambo’s in the middle, just like the parents in the article and was approved by Skatteverket.The child is allowed to have the fathers surname at the end in Sweden.
Sounds as though this couple didn't get their paperwork in order
The names might sound foreign but they are both Danish. And even though they weren't it wouldn't have anything to do in the matter of the little girl's name. That's just plain ignorance to blur out such a comment, but anyway back to the case!
They are married end they were married before she was born in Denmark. So the reason why they don't want to change the name is obvious, it's their right to call their baby girl Celina Cruz Schneider.
I don't get the Swedish government, is this really that much of a problem?
I'm now considering moving, because if that is a big problem life must just be wonderful in Sweden!
//Me
Love it!
As long as they fill in the fadarskaps paperwork from the kommun there will be no problem registering the father's name on the birth certificate whether they come from Denmark or outer Mongolia.
Given that they are Danish there should really be no problem understanding paragraph 1 of the Swedish Name Law that states where parents have different names the child can be registered in the father's name if the father signs the paternity paper - but if they don't submit the papers within three months then the child is automatically registered in the mother's name
http://www.notisum.se/rnp/SLS/LAG/19820670.htm
I never said about Spanish naming systems. And to demand an arbitrary aspect of one's life (as all names are truly just for identification) to follow a tradition (even the if it is the national tradition) is to conform someone to "what they're not used to" (I don't know of it in the word for English), which will naturally result in defiance.
Is there not naturalization?
I am not saying that the government is going beyond their legal rights (which is surely not the case), but I am of mind that no one has a right to regulate names, because it is completely pointless, and a wasting of time. Although many people probably don't try to go against the government in these manners, as these family has done, it makes no sense to enforce such laws. But, this is coming from some one in a free country—a truly free country where there is not police and government where I life—so why does any of this matter? We get along fine without to worrying about names. Maybe the government should be more like the the Norther Korea—if someone disagrees, kill them. It would set a good example.