CV
Björn Tarras-Wahlberg
Strandvagen 5 B, 114 56 Stockholm, Sweden
–
Tel +46 70 325 00 11
Professional experience
2000 -Secretary General of the World Taxpayers Associations
Founder and Secretary General of the World Taxpayers Associations, a
confederation of 59 member associations from 43 countries on 6 continents: A united front for lower taxes (flat rates),
less waste, accountable government and legal right for taxpayers all over the world. Officially established in the Foreign Press Club in WashingtonD.C.
In 1988. Since 2006 also chairman of the Asia-Pacific Taxpayers Union, a regional cooperation for 16 associations from the following nine countries:
Australia, Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines.
2000-2004 World Bank and SIDA consultant
Consultant to the Word Bank in East Europe and Central Asia and to
the Swedish International Development Agency, SIDA, in the same area.
1985-2000President Swedish Taxpayers Association
President of the Swedish Taxpayers Association and publisher of Common Sense (Sunt Förnuft) and Taxes & Welfare (Skatter & Välfärd). With 40 employees, a turnover of 50 milj SEK ($ 5 milj), assets of 200 milj SEK
($ 20 milj) and at most 186.000 members (4% of all families in Sweden) the association was one of the biggest in the world and bigger than any of the Swedish political parties. The work included lobbying, lots of speeches, writing of hundreds of articles plus leadership. Honorary deputy President of Taxpayers Associations of Europe.
Mr. Tarras-Wahlberg was recruited by Dr. Curt Nicolin (former CEO of Asea
Brown Boveri, ABB) with the task to reduce the highest income taxes in the world, which was achieved in 1991 from the level of 84% down to 50%
(“Hälften kvar” - “Half part left”).
1984-1985Vice President Ericsson Telecom Group
Vice President in the parent company of Ericsson Group, Stockholm. Director
of Marketing for Scandinavia and Finland and also responsible for political contacts in the entire company of 135,000 employees.
1974-1984Chief Lobbyist Swedish Employers Confederation, SAF
Deputy Director and Chief lobbyist and Government Relations Manager at the Swedish Employers Confederation, SAF (today Confederation of Swedish Enterprise) which was the biggest and most powerful business organization in Sweden. Deputy director in SAF since 1980.
1971-1973Parliamentary Secretary Swedish Association of Free Enterprise
Secretary to 46 members of Parliament belonging to the Swedish Association of Free Enterprise (Företagareförbundet, SFR, today Företagarna, FR). Office in Parliament. The work included the writing of private bills and speeches delivered in Parliament by the members of the non socialist parties.
1967-1968Secretary to the Liberal-Conservative group in Parliament
Secretary to the Liberal-Conservative group in Parliament with the task to assist MPs with private bills and speeches.
Books written
2006“Taxpayer Revolution – how to start and operate a taxpayers association.” Second revised edition as report for the European Resource Bank Meeting and the World Taxpayers Associations Congress in Vienna, June 2006.
2004“Taxpayer Revolution – how to start and run a taxpayers association.” Published in English, Russian and Chinese for the World Taxpayers Conference 2004.
2003“Individual Welfare Accounts and Flat Income Tax – lower marginal effects and increased economic security”. Published in English and Russian for the World Taxpayers Conference 2003 inSt. Petersburg. Co-author Mr. Robert Gidehag, today President of the Swedish Taxpayers Association.
2000“Comments from a Taxpayer”. Some of Mr. Tarras-Wahlbergs 120 editorials
in the magazine “Common Sense” (Sunt Förnuft) during his 16 years as publisher and president of the Swedish Taxpayers Association, 1985-2000.
2000“White Paper on the Swedish property tax and its consequences” . Published by the Swedish Taxpayers Association, 4 editions.
1996“Lower taxes with Private Life Time Accounts”. Published by the Swedish Taxpayers Association.
1983“Deregulate More! Costs and Effects of Regulation”. Published by the Swedish Employers Confederation, SAF.
1981“What is the Price of Regulation?” Published by Norstedts Publishing House.
1980“Regulated to death? Regulation of business enterprises in the 1970s – analysis and effects”. Forward by the industrialist, CEO of ABB, Dr. Curt Nicolin. 241 p.
1979“Business lobbying in the US”. Report to the Swedish Institute for the grant given by the Swedish Bicentennial Fund for the relations between Sweden and the USA. Published by the Swedish Employers Confederation.
1971 & 1972“Coins from the Beginning”. A very popular book about the history of coins and collecting of coins. 128 p.
1968“Will Monarchy Survive?” A book that argues for the Swedish monarchy.135 p.
Education
MA at the University of Stockholm. Major: economics and political science.
Speaks Swedish, English, German and French. Studies in Russian and Chinese.
Grants & awards
1967Experiment Ambassador Scholarship Program in USA during 10 weeks awarded by the Experiment in International Living.
1978Grant from the Swedish Bicentennial Fund for studies in the US.
1980Grant from the foundation “The Law and the State” awarded for the two books written about legislation.
1981Award of honor from the Swedish Association of free Enterprise.
1992Awarded Dr. Curt Nicolins “Positive Sweden Price” for “the unconventional work to inform the Swedish people about their taxes”.
2000Awarded the Spanish “Order Hispanica de Carlos V” for the education and
service on taxes and legislation for numerous Swedes that have moved to Spain (and France).
2005Honored to be listed in WHO´S WHO INTERNATIONAL from 2005 (on internet and from 2007 (the printed version).
2007Highest award of honor from the Swedish Order of Carpenters (Timmermans-orden) for the position as Keeper of the Coin Cabinet of the Swedish Order of Carpenters from 1967 – 2007.
Others
Member of a number of Boards, chairman of The Royal Coin Cabinet; Author of numerous articles on taxes and politics; writer in Wall Street Journal Europe, etc.
Ex wife Mrs. Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg is Marshal of the Swedish Royal Court, speech writer to H.M. The King of Sweden and Mentor to H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria. They have two daughters, Filippa, born in 1984 and Louisa, born in 1988.
Mr. Tarras-Wahlberg has four homes, three in Sweden all by the waterfront, at Strandvägen 7B on the waterfront in the very center of Stockholm, in residential island Lidingö just outside Stockholm, summer home right on the water front of the Baltic Sea at Dalarö Udd, 50 km south east of Stockholm and a flat in the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana in the Rhon valley of Vallais, the French speaking part of Switzerland, 180 km from Geneva, 260 km from Milan, 300 km from Zürich or 500 km from Venice. Mr. Tarras-Wahlberg has a Swedish passport and a Swiss registration/residence due to his frequent travelings.
Interests
Mr. Bjorn Tarras-Wahlberg is a multi cultural person with many interests:
Culture and languages, politics and economics, numismatics and history, music and dancing, fashion and beauty. He is energetic and hardworking, very sociable and interested in people, and as people say, mostly gentle and elegant.
2007-06-21