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The dates you need to know for Swedish tax declaration season

It's that time of year again, when you need to start thinking about tax returns. In Sweden much of the process can be done online, but when and how you submit your declaration impacts when you get any refund, so here are a few key deadlines to keep in mind.

The dates you need to know for Swedish tax declaration season
You can declare easily via Skatteverket's app. Photo: Becky Waterton/The Local

Anyone who earned above 20,135 kronor during 2021 needs to submit a declaration, as well as people who fall into a few other categories, including all property-owners.

You will most likely receive a tax declaration by post or in your digital mailbox if you need to declare, but if you are self-employed or have only worked briefly in Sweden, you may still need to declare your taxes. Check the Tax Agency’s website if you’re not sure.

Those who process their declaration digitally will get any tax rebate by April 9th, rather than having to wait until June 11th.

February 27th was the final date to create a so-called digital mailbox (digital brevlåda), which means you will receive your declaration digitally rather than as a paper form sent through the post.

Between March 2nd and 7th, those with digital mailboxes receive their declarations, while the physical versions are sent out between mid-March and April 15th.

From March 8th, those with a digital e-ID can log in to skatteverket.se and see their declaration.

March 15th is the first date for declaring your taxes digitally. If you have a digital e-ID, you can log in to the Tax Agency’s website and fill out your declaration.

Even if you receive the paper declaration, you can still fill it in digitally to get the earlier rebate, and you can submit your paper declaration from April 17th.

March 30th is the deadline to submit your declaration online in order to receive a tax refund before Easter. If no changes needed to be made, people submitting by this date will receive any refund between April 5th and 8th.

The overall deadline for declaration submission is May 2nd. And between June 8th and 10th, everyone who met this deadline will receive any tax refund they are entitled to. 

“For those who are declaring for the first time, it is important to remember to get a Bank ID to be able to log in to the Swedish Tax Agency’s online services, and to register a bank account to be able to have the tax refund paid automatically,” advises Johan Schauman, a declaration expert from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).

He also recommended taking time to check all the information on the form, and not leaving the declaration to the last minute so that you have time to confirm any details with your bank or employer if needed.

Tax declarations can be submitted either using the paper form itself, using the Swedish Tax Agency’s app (which requires electronic identification in the form of BankID) or using their web service, which can be accessed through either BankID or the eight digit security code printed on the form itself.

But before you click “send”, it’s worth checking if you are eligible for any deductions, for example on maintenance work or cleaning for your own home, or materials or travel required for work.

Vocabulary

tax — (en) skatt

to submit a tax declaration — att deklarera

tax refund — (en) skatteåterbäring

deduction — (ett) avdrag

bank account — (ett) bankkonto

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How to avoid falling victim to tax scams in Sweden

Sweden's tax agency, Skatteverket, warns of an increase in scams when it's time for Swedish tax-payers to declare their taxes.

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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