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It’s time to file your taxes – and here’s when you can get your rebate

The tax agency (Skatteverket) opened its online tax declaration service on Tuesday, and if you fill it in before the first deadline you may get your money back in less than a month.

Published: 19 March 2019 13:32 CET

It's time to file your taxes – and here's when you can get your rebate

Here's how to get your money back in less than a month. Photo: Leo Sellén/TT

If you use online service methods (for which you need a digital identification certificate), SMS or telephone methods – and do not need to make any changes to the details already filled in by Skatteverket – you will get any money you are owed back by April 9th-12th.

But the tax agency reported on Tuesday morning that some of its most dedicated customers who tried to file their taxes first thing before breakfast had encountered tech glitches.

“There is a range of ways to declare digitally. The apps have had a problem with long response times,” Skatteverket expert Johan Schauman told the TT newswire.

READ ALSO: Nine things to know about your Swedish tax return

A new addition this year is the agency's online assistant, the chat bot Skatti who answers customers' questions about their tax return. Its English language ability is however so far limited.

When The Local tried to communicate with Skatti on Tuesday, it said it understood “some English but will reply in Swedish”, but most of our questions received a “I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean – please try to rephrase your question if you can”.

Screenshot of Skatteverket's AI assistant Skatti.

The paper version of your tax form will be sent out between March 15th and April 15th. If you file your declaration this way – or have to make changes to your form and declare digitally by May 2nd, you will get your tax refund by a still not too shabby June 7th.

But before you hasten to tick “send” on your pre-filled out online tax form it is worth investigating if you are able to claim any deductions, for example for travel to and from work. Here's a list of some of the most common ones.

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Member comments

Anonymous - 20 March 2019 at 08:22 CET

I had to pay for 3rd consecutive year this time 🙁

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How to avoid falling victim to tax scams in Sweden

Anyone who earned more than 22,208 kronor last year received their tax returns digitally last week, marking the start of tax season.

That also means an expected peak in tax-related scams, Skatteverket warns.

Most of the scams are so-called phishing scams, meaning attempts to steal the victims’ personal information. Fraudsters may for example email a person, pretending to represent Skatteverket, and ask them for, among other things, their banking details.

“We’re seeing these in all channels. They use fake emails, SMS, letters and in some cases even phone calls. It is particularly common in tax declaration times – just when we’re about to send out the tax returns, the e-service opens and it’s possible to declare – but above all when it’s time for tax rebates,” Jan Janowski, a Skatteverket expert, told Swedish news agency TT.

A scam email might for example state that you’re entitled to a tax rebate and that you should click a link to receive it. Don’t click any links, open any attachments or reply to the message. Skatteverket advises that you immediately delete the email or text message.

Another common scam is that you receive a text message claiming to be from Skatteverket, telling you that you owe them money and you need to log in to calculate the amount. The website you’re urged to log in via does not belong to Skatteverket. Don’t click the link.

The agency stresses that it never asks people for their banking details. The exception is that you may be asked for your bank account information if you log into Skatteverket’s website to declare your taxes, but that always first requires you to log into the site.

To receive your tax rebate, you need to inform Skatteverket of your bank account number. You do this not by clicking a link in an email or SMS, but by logging into their website using a digital ID, for example BankID, and submitting your details. Only do this on your own initiative. If someone calls you and asks you to log in with your BankID during the phone call, don’t do it. That’s another common scam.

Skatteverket will also never call you to ask for your bank account or credit card number.

It will be possible to declare your taxes from March 19th. You’ll receive any tax rebate you’re owed by mid-April or early June, depending on when you submit your tax return. These are the dates when fraudsters are likely to attempt the most scams.

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