1. VAT in Europe
3. VAT in Sweden
5. VAT Returns in Sweden

VAT Returns in Sweden

Frequency of VAT returns

All registered businesses in Sweden must file VAT returns monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Swedish VAT returns are filed monthly when the taxable turnover for the year is estimated to exceed SEK 40 million (circa 3.6 million EUR). If the estimated turnover is below this amount, VAT returns may be filed quarterly.

Finally, if the total amount of taxable turnover does not exceed SEK 1 million, the company is allowed to file VAT returns annually.

• Frequency of filing Swedish VAT returns

• • Monthly
    Taxable turnover exceeds SEK 40 million
  • Quarterly
    Taxable turnover does not exceed SEK 40 million
  • Annual
    Taxable turnover does not exceed SEK 1 million.

Find here the official information published by the Tax Authorities.

Due Dates of Swedish VAT returns

The following due dates apply to Swedish VAT returns:

• Due Dates of Swedish VAT Returns

• • Monthly
    26th day of the following month if turnover is above SEK 40 million. If below, the due date is the 12th day of the second following month.
  • Quarterly
    12th day of the second following month.
  • Annual
    26th day of the second following month. 

VAT Payments in Sweden

The deadline for making VAT payments in Sweden is the same deadlines as for the submission of the VAT return.

Foreign companies’ VAT payments are made via bank transfer to the Swedish tax authorities.

The personal or corporate identity number must be stated on the payment reference. It is important to check the bank details before making the payment and ensure that the payment reference included is correct.

The payment reference used when making the bank transfer must include the organization registration number, generally referred to as OCR, and referensnummer in the paper VAT return form. Find here and here additional information about VAT payments.

VAT Refunds in Swedish VAT returns

When a company is in a refund position in a Swedish VAT return, the VAT credit is automatically repaid to the Swedish bank account previously communicated to the tax authorities. If such a bank account is not communicated, your credit is kept in the taxpayer's tax account.

There is no box in the VAT return to choose if request the VAT credit or carry it forward to the next period.

VAT refunds can be paid into foreign bank accounts once these are communicated to the Swedish tax authorities. In Marosa´s experience, you will need to make a separate VAT refund request each time you are due to receive your funds in a foreign bank account.

If your company wants to receive the VAT refund of the credit on the tax account, the procedure may vary depending on the way of filing:

• Online services set up and Swedish bank account for reimbursement: in this case, you must register online your company’s bank details and request the payment.
• Paper filing and/or foreign bank account for reimbursement: VAT refunds to foreign bank accounts can only be made upon request, and the application must be submitted by sending original documents by post to the tax office.

In case you do not have a foreign bank account where to receive the VAT credit, it is possible to request the Swedish tax authorities to issue a cheque.

Finally, for established companies with a registered bank account on the Swedish online system, the VAT credit is usually refunded automatically to their bank accounts.

How to inform the Swedish tax authorities about your foreign bank account?

To communicate your foreign bank account to the Swedish authorities, you must submit the following documents:

• A written request for the VAT refund containing the bank details (IBAN, BIC, the name, and the address of the bank). The writ must be signed by the company’s legal representative/s or authorized signatories.
• Certificate from the Trade Register of the company, issued in the country of establishment, and confirming the authority of the person signing the letter. The certificate must be stamped and signed by the registration authority or by a notary and not be older than one month by the time for the payment request is sent.
• Bank certificate. You must also include a letter from your bank no older than six months, confirming that the company is the bank account holder. The document must be signed by the bank and contain contact information.

Find here the official information.

Nil and Corrective Swedish VAT returns

If there are no transactions to be reported in a given period, a nil VAT return must be submitted. There are no specific requirements other than including 0.00 in the final VAT position. It is important to indicate 0.00 in the box of your final VAT position. Otherwise, if that box is left empty, Swedish authorities will consider the VAT return as not submitted.

Where there is a change in the output or input VAT reported in a given period, a corrective VAT return must be filed replacing the return previously submitted. Therefore, a completely new VAT return must be completed and submitted for the same reporting period;

1. You should request a new VAT return from the Tax Agency for the period incorrectly reported.
2. You must submit a new complete VAT return for the same period to the tax office.

Please consider that in some cases, where only minor changes are required, the tax office may register the changes for you in the system upon request. Find here more information about VAT return corrections.

VAT Penalties in Sweden

• Cause
  Penalty
• Late filing
  Normally, a penalty of SEK 625 is applied. The penalty is increased to SEK1,250 if the tax agency requests the VAT return submission.
• Late payment
  Here applies an interest penalty. The interest consists of base interest plus 15%. The base interest is 2.5% as of 1 November 2022.
• Late registration
  No penalties for late registration. However, the authorities may impose penalties for late registration in case of long delays or voluntary errors. 

Find here more information about the interest rates.