According to the directives, the investigator Mats Svegfors' proposal, which will apply from 2024, was not allowed to "submit proposals or assessments in the area of tax and social security contributions".
The inquiry will thus not propose zero VAT for general news media, which according to the debaters is the most important form of support.
"It would create long-term conditions for continued publication because it is technology-neutral and transformative in the transition to digital subscriptions and contributes to strengthening paid relationships between readers and newspapers," they write.
The lost VAT revenue from the daily press is estimated at around half a billion kronor.
The total media support grant can thus be reduced by the same amount and the remaining funds can be directed at newspapers that do not benefit from zero VAT, the debaters suggest.
The possibility of introducing zero VAT has been examined in parallel with the media support inquiry.
Had the inquiry instead taken a concerted approach, zero VAT would have been the mainstay of today's proposal, according to the debaters.
“Now, instead, the debate continues: first a round of consultations, then a bill and finally a decision by the Riksdag.
There are good opportunities here for the next government and the next parliament to supplement Svegfors' investigation with a VAT exemption, ”they write.