Suècia: Entorn econòmic
Interest expenses on external loans are fully deductible, whereas interest paid to affiliated companies are deductible only if an exception applies under the Swedish interest stripping restrictions and if the arm’s-length principle is respected. Bad debts are deductible if they are proven wholly or partially worthless. However, interest and bad debts related to a company within a jurisdiction which is placed on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions are non-deductible. Charitable contributions are generally non-deductible.
Certain items such as profit distributions, entertainment expenses exceeding a certain amount and taxes are non-deductible. Double taxation relief is provided for Swedish companies that are taxed abroad. Foreign tax credit may not exceed the amount of Swedish income tax attributable to the foreign-sourced income.
Land improvements may be depreciated at the rate of 5%/year of the acquisition cost, buildings at rates between 2% and 5%/year of the taxable basis. The maximum allowance is 100% of the tax basis of the improvement/building.
Net operating losses can be carried forward indefinitely, except in the case of a direct or indirect change in the ownership structure of the company. The carryback of losses is technically not permitted; however, the tax allocation reserve ("periodiseringsfond") allows companies to offset their incurred losses by profits of previous years.
For the transfer of real properties, a stamp duty of 4.25% is levied on the acquisition value or the value estimated by tax authorities (the highest value is used for the calculation) when the transferee is a legal person. The rate varies between 0.4% and 2% for mortgages.
Mandatory social security charges payable by employers on remuneration to employees (or by the self-employed) are levied at 31.42%. Reduced rates (0% or 10.21%) are applicable for people born between 1938-1953. Pension benefits beyond the mandatory system are customary amongst most Swedish employers. A special salary tax is levied at around 24% on these additional pension premiums/commitments and is deductible for corporate tax purposes.
Various environmental taxes have been introduced in recent years, including the energy tax, carbon tax and sulphur tax.
Sweden | OECD | United States | Germany | |
Number of Payments of Taxes per Year | 6.0 | 10.1 | 10.6 | 9.0 |
Time Taken For Administrative Formalities (Hours) | 122.0 | 163.6 | 175.0 | 218.0 |
Total Share of Taxes (% of Profit) | 49.1 | 41.6 | 36.6 | 48.8 |
Source: Doing Business, Latest available data.
Up to SEK 523,200 | 0% + municipal tax (between 29-35% average 32%) |
Above SEK 523,200 | 20% national tax + municipal tax (average 32%) |
Church tax and burial charges | Between 1-2% |
Highest combined tax rate: 56% | |
Non-residents | 25% |
Personal pension insurance premiums and contributions to restricted pension savings accounts are deductible within certain limits, but only if the employee is not included in an employer-funded company pension plan. Interest costs paid to Swedish or non-Swedish lenders are deductible.
Several tax reductions are available: 50% of the labour costs relating to housekeeping is available (capped at SEK 50,000/year); 30% of the labour costs relating to repair, maintenance and rebuilding of a private dwelling (up to SEK 50,000/year); however, such reductions cannot exceed SEK 50,000 per person per annum. A deduction is also permitted for increased cost of living, generally for 2 to 3 years.
For more information, consult the website of the Swedish Tax Agency.
Non-residents working for a non-Swedish employer without a permanent establishment in the country are not taxed in Sweden, unless they spend more than 183 days in Sweden in a 12-month period.
If an individual has social insurance in another country, the employer is not liable for contributions in Sweden.
Find out more about Taxes and Accounting in Sweden on GlobalTrade.net, the Directory for International Trade Service Providers.
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Actualitzacions: May 2022