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WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in March 2023?

The release of the annual tax return, cheaper electricity and a switch to summertime. Here's what to look out for in Denmark this March.

Published: 28 February 2023 17:47 CET
Signs of Spring, Denmark
Spring is coming. The change to summertime on March 26th means an end to dark evenings. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix
The release of personal tax returns – årsopgørelse 
The release of the årsopgørelse (annual tax return, calculated and displayed on the SKAT website) is possibly the most important event on the Danish tax calendar. You can access the annual tax returns from March.
 
Within a set deadline which falls at the beginning of May, taxpayers can edit their tax information, such as changing income or tax exemption information.
 
Around three out of four taxpayers in Denmark get refunds after the yearly annual return, although others have to pay money back to the tax authority.
Prior to the publication of the annual return, you can check how much tax you’ve paid or are due to pay during the course of the year and edit your income and deductions on the preliminary version of the return, the forskudsopgørelse.
 
READ ALSO:
Cheaper electricity on the way for 2.5 million Danish customers
Two energy grid companies, Cerius and Radius Elnet, are to reduce their tariffs from March 1st. The two companies operate on Zealand and the smaller islands Lolland, Falster and Møn.

Tariffs were increased last year because the companies said they had a backlog of additional costs that they wished to trim.

Money raised from tariffs goes toward the cost of maintaining the electric grid and transporting energy to consumers.

The average tariff for customers in Radius’s area — Copenhagen, North Zealand and parts of Central Zealand — should drop by 18 percent from March, while the rest of Zealand will see their tariffs fall an average of 20 percent. 

New inflation package for low income families replaces subsidy scheme

The government has agreed on a package providing financial help to 40,500 young families in Denmark.

A recent winter inflation spending plan designated 300 million kroner for the purpose of assisting families who are struggling to cover costs as a result of inflation. 

It replaces a previous subsidy for families with children, known as børnetilskud, which expires on March 1st. Families who received the old subsidy will qualify for the new one, the government said.

The money will be paid out in two instalments, the first by the end of June and the second in August.

It is a one-off scheme and will not be repeated in 2024.

Government bill may pass to permanently ease work permit rules 

A government bill to permanently change the minimum wage criteria in a key work permit scheme could be voted through in March.

The government says the bill, which will permanently reduce the minimum wage required under the Pay Limit Scheme (Beløbsordning), will make it easier for companies to recruit skilled workers from non-EU countries.

Last year saw a majority in parliament pledge to support a proposal to reduce the Pay Limit scheme from 448,000 kroner per year to 375,000 kroner per year for three years. The proposal was never passed into law because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called an election before it was voted on in parliament.

The new government proposal makes the reduction permanent.

READ ALSO: How can you get a work permit in Denmark if you are not an EU national?

Switch to summertime means light evenings are back
The change to GMT+2 or summertime on Sunday, March 26th means an end to dark evenings for another season. Clocks go forward by one hour at 3am on the 26th, meaning one hour less of sleep that weekend to offset the change.
 
Politicians in Denmark and the EU have in recent years discussed scrapping the twice-yearly changing of the clocks for daylight saving, but it continues for the time being at least.
 
Tivoli Gardens opens for its spring/summer season
As the winter days start to fade, Tivoli in Copenhagen reopens. You have to wait for the end of the month on Friday 31st March but it will remain open until 24th September. There’s a special Easter theme, complete with lambs from 31st March to 10th April.
 

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WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in May 2024?

Sirens (including on smart phones) to be tested, deadline for tax returns, national holidays and a Copenhagen Marathon enjoying record popularity are among events and changes coming this month in Denmark.

Published: 29 April 2024 17:20 CEST
Updated: 1 May 2024 11:38 CEST
KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in May 2024?

Sirens and mobile alert to be tested on May 1st

Each May, Denmark tests the sirens that authorities can use to warn the population if there is an emergency situation.

The 2024 test is scheduled to take place as usual at noon on the first Wednesday of the month – which this year also means the first day of the month, Wednesday May 1st.

A test of a digital warning system, first introduced last year, will also be tested in 2024. The digital system allows authorities to send siren sounds and warning messages to smartphones.

Last year’s version of the digital test did not reach everyone due to it only being compatible with certain phone updates. So you may find you receive this year even if you did not in 2023.

Anyone with a smart phone connected to the Danish network can expect to receive the test siren and message on their devices on May 3rd at 12pm.

The physical and digital test sirens are sent out by the Danish Emergency Management Agency (Beredskabsstyrelen or DEMA) and the Danish National Police. More information can be found in English (and 10 other languages) on the DEMA website.

Deadline for finalising tax returns

Denmark’s tax authority SKAT opened access to annual tax returns on March 11th.

Annual tax returns (årsopgørelser) in Denmark cover calendar years. They are released in March and finalised in late spring, meaning taxpayers have this period to correct the information on their tax returns from the previous calendar year.

The tax returns encompass income over the preceding tax year as well as deductions and subsidies.

Normally, around three in four people receive money back from the tax authorities once their return is finalised. The amount paid back varies and depends on individual circumstances, and others may owe money to the tax system.

Rebates from the tax system are sent from mid-April onwards but the final deadline for updating information on the returns is May 1st. This means that, at the time of writing, you still (just about) have time to check whether your return is correct and update any information.

READ ALSO: 

Public holidays and other days off in May

Great Prayer Day or Store Bededag is no longer a national holiday (and fell in April this year anyway) but there are still a few dates to highlight in the diary for time off work.

Ascension Day, Kristi Himmelfartsdag in Danish, is less than two weeks after Great Prayer Day on Thursday May 9th.

Many Danes take the Friday after Ascension Day as annual leave, giving them a four-day weekend at the cost of only one day of leave.

Then there’s Whitsunday and Whitmonday, known in Danish as Pinsedag and 2. Pinsedag. These fall on May 19th and 20th respectively, so that’s another three-day weekend in the middle of the month.

Meanwhile, Labour Day on May 1st is not a public holiday in Denmark – unlike in the other Nordic countries – but many of Denmark’s workers do have the day off (sometimes half a day), provided by their collective bargaining agreements.

READ ALSO: Why isn’t May 1st a public holiday in Denmark but is in Sweden and Norway?

Switch to summer tyres (if you haven’t already)

Alternating between winter and summer tyres is not a legal requirement in Denmark, but is broadly recommended, including by FDM, the Danish membership organisation for motorists.

Neighbouring Sweden, Norway and Germany – where many Danish residents head on skiing and other holidays during the colder months – all have rules requiring winter tyres, meanwhile, meaning the practice is common in Denmark, not least for those who may need to take their cars over the border.

Most people switch back to summer tyres at Easter, which this year fell on April 9th. But the weather was still quite wintry during the early part of April, so some car owners may have held out a little longer.

More about the practice of using winter and summer tyres in Denmark can be found in this article.

Copenhagen Marathon ready to go amid massive spike in interest

The Copenhagen Marathon takes place on Sunday May 7th, so if you’re planning to drive or take a bus through parts of the capital that day you should plan ahead to avoid disruption.

The 42.2-kilometre route through the city includes a start and finish area at Øster Allé near Fælledparken. It will take marathoners past Tivoli, Christiansborg and Kongens Nytorv, as well as the charred remains of the old stock exchange, Børsen.

The marathon takes in each of Copenhagen’s central districts: Vesterbro, the Inner City, Østerbro, Frederiksberg and Nørrebro.

There’s usually a great energy along the route, with Nørrebrogade near Dronning Louises Bro (Bridge) and much of Østerbro, particularly around the Trianglen junction, among good places to lend your support.

This year could be a classic edition of the event: there’s been a surge in interest in the sport in recent years, and this year’s Copenhagen Marathon has been sold out for months – something that has not previously happened in the event’s history.

READ ALSO: Why has the Copenhagen Marathon seen a jump in popularity?

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