Taxation in Sweden on salaries for an employee involves contributing to three different levels of government: the municipality, the county council, and the central government. Social security contributions are paid to finance the social security system.
Income tax on salaries is deducted by the employer (a PAYE system) and paid by the employer to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).
The effective taxation in Sweden is commonly cited as among the highest in the world, see List of countries by tax rates.
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Sweden has a taxation system for income from work that combines an income tax (paid by the employee) with social security contributions (employers contributions) that are paid by the employer. The total salary cost for the employer is thereby the gross salary plus the social security contributions. The employer makes monthly preliminary deductions (PAYE) for income tax and also pays the social security contributions to the Swedish Tax Agency.
Only the income tax deducted is visible on the salary slip. The income tax is contingent on the person being taxable in Sweden, and the social security contributions are contingent on the person being part of the Swedish social insurance plan. The income tax is finalised through a yearly tax assessment the year following the income year.[1]
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Social security contributions [edit]
The specifics of the social security contributions (employer's contributions) may be found at the Swedish Tax Agency's Website.[2]
Example of salary taxation through PAYE [edit]
Assumptions: Income tax (Direct - 100%), Employer social fee (indirect - 31.42%)
From a pay of "100," the Employer first pays "32" in Income tax (direct - 32%); on top of that, the Employer pays an additional "31.42" in Employer's social fees (indirect - 31.42%).
Thus, from a pay check of "100," 63.42/131.42 (i.e., 48.3%) is paid as taxes, although the employer's contribution is a fee for the employee's adherence to the Swedish social security scheme. The effective rate may be lowered by, for example, earned income tax credits and private retirement savings contributions.
Value added tax [edit]
The value added tax (mervärdesskatt or moms) rate in Sweden is 25%, with exceptions for food and services like hotel room rental fees (12%), and for sales of publications, admission tickets to cultural events and travel within Sweden (6%).[3]
Registering a non-Swedish company or sole trader in Sweden [edit]
A foreign company conducting business in Sweden, whether a natural or a legal person, may become taxable for VAT, employer´s contributions and/or income tax. The company should then apply for registration at the Swedish Tax Agency, and may apply for a Swedish F-tax certificate.
In the ‘Tax application for foreign entrepreneurs´ brochure and form, SKV 419 and SKV 4632 respectively, there is information on how to submit the application.
Sole traders who have a Swedish personal number, and corporations that have a representative who has a Swedish personal number and who is also authorised to sign (authorised to sign by himself) on behalf of the company, may submit the application electronically through the verksamt.se website. Verksamt.se is jointly managed by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket). Other foreign companies may submit their application directly to the International Tax Offices [4] at the Swedish Tax Agency by post. When registered with the Swedish Tax Agency, the foreign company receives a unique Swedish identity number. For natural persons to receive such a number they must verify their identity with a passport or another such identity card or documentation. For a legal person it is required that the identity is verified with some form of attested certificate of registration/incorporation and that the representative demonstrates his/her authority to represent (sign) on behalf of the legal person when it requests registration for taxation. Foreign legal persons active in Sweden should first contact the Swedish Companies Registration Office to ask if they are required to register a branch office. If such a registration is made with the Swedish Companies Registration Office, they will supplied with a Swedish registration number by the Swedish Tax Agency. For contact information, see the Swedish Companies Registrations Office website.
Further information in English can be found on the Swedish Tax Agency's website. [5]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ 'Skatteverket.se: För arbetsgivare, Swedish Tax Agency (in Swedish)
- ^ 'Skatteverket.se: Arbetsgivaravgifter, Swedish Tax Agency (in Swedish)
- ^ ''Momsbroschyren (SKV 552), Swedish Tax Agency (in Swedish)
- ^ ''International Tax Offices, Swedish Tax Agency
- ^ 'Skatteverket.se: Tax registration of foreign companies, Swedish Tax Agency
Further reading [edit]
Swedish Tax Agency (2011). Taxes in Sweden 2010. An English Summary of Tax Statistical Yearbook of Sweden. Swedish Tax Agency.
Swedish Tax Agency 2011. Tax registration of foreign companies in Sweden, Swedish Tax Agency's website
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