Sweden tax
Special regime for new residents: Expert tax relief.
Checked against official sources on Change log
Special regimes for new residents
Special regime
Expert tax relief (25% of salary exempt)
Tax relief
Details
- On: Salary and similar remuneration for work in Sweden (75% taxed at regular rates)
- Who: Not a Swedish citizen
- Limit: SEK 89k/mo ≈ $8,850
25% of salary is exempt from income tax for up to seven years, granted by the Taxation of Research Workers Board; the 25% is also outside the employer contribution base. 1 2 3
Taxed on
Salary and similar remuneration for work in Sweden (75% taxed at regular rates); employer-borne moving costs, two home trips a year and school fees fully exempt.
Who it applies to
- Not a Swedish citizen; no residence or habitual abode in Sweden in the five calendar years before work starts; intends to stay at most seven years.
- Employer is Swedish or foreign with a permanent establishment in Sweden; apply within three months after starting work.
- Either contracted monthly remuneration above 1.5 times the price base amount, or qualifies as expert, researcher or other key person.
Exclusions
- Relief is tied to the employer named in the decision; a new application is needed on changing employer.
- Annual bonuses and non-monthly pay do not count toward the remuneration test.
Limits
- SEK 88,801 a month (≈ $8,850) · Remuneration route for work starting in 2026: more than 1.5 times the 2026 price base amount of SEK 59,200 (≈ $5,900) (SEK 88,201 (≈ $8,790) for 2025 starts).
Tax residence
A stay of at least six months in a row is normally treated as habitual abode.
Visas
Independent of the permit type; a positive Board decision is required.
Other taxes
Valid seven years from start of stay for decisions from 1 January 2024 (five years before that, three before 2021).
Checked against official sources on Change log
Which visas the regimes apply to
- Expert tax relief: Work permit, Blue Card, Intra-company transfer, Researcher permit. Independent of the permit type; a positive Board decision is required.
Standard rules and foreign-source income
Standard rules
Swedish income tax: municipal tax plus 20% national tax above the bracket limit; SINK for short assignments
Details
- On: Earned income (employment, business, pension)
- Limit: SEK 643k/yr ≈ $64k
Residents pay municipal income tax at an average 32.38% (2026, set by each municipality and region) on income after the basic allowance, plus 20% national income tax on taxable earned income above SEK 643,000, (≈ $64,100) so the marginal rate is about 52%; residents are taxed on income from all countries (unlimited tax liability). Non-residents working under six months can pay flat 22.5% SINK. 4 5 6 7 8 9
Taxed on
Earned income (employment, business, pension), including foreign-source income of residents, after the basic allowance (grundavdrag); municipal tax at the municipality's rate (national average 32.38% for 2026, range 28.93% to 35.65%) on all taxable earned income, and national tax of 20% on the part of taxable earned income above SEK 643,000 (≈ $64,100). General pension fee of 7% of earned income up to SEK 47,100 (≈ $4,700) is offset by a 100% tax reduction. SINK on salary of non-resident workers staying up to six months.
Who it applies to
- Unlimited tax liability (tax on income from Sweden and abroad) applies to persons who are domiciled in Sweden, stay regularly in Sweden or have significant connections to Sweden.
- SINK: living abroad and working in Sweden for less than six months, or cross-border commuting.
Exclusions
- A person staying six months or longer without being in the population register registers for preliminary income tax instead.
- The 183-day rule may exempt employees of a foreign business without a permanent establishment in Sweden; not for outsourced workers.
- Income may be exempt in Sweden under domestic rules or a tax treaty, but all income must still be disclosed in the return.
- Capital income is taxed separately and is not covered by this scale.
Limits
- SEK 643,000 a year (≈ $64,100) · Income year 2026: bracket limit (skiktgräns); 20% national income tax is charged on taxable earned income above this amount, on top of municipal tax (SEK 625,800 (≈ $62,400) for 2025).
- SEK 660,400 a year (≈ $65,800) · Income year 2026: break point; gross earned income above this amount (under age 66 at the start of the year) pays national income tax, before the basic allowance.
- SEK 45,600 a year (≈ $4,550) · Maximum basic allowance 2026 (under age 66); 0.77 price base amounts, applying at earned income from SEK 161,024 (≈ $16,100) to 184,112, reduced by 10% of income above SEK 184,112 (≈ $18,400).
- SEK 25,100 a year (≈ $2,500) · Lowest basic allowance at low income 2026 (0.423 price base amounts, SEK 25,041.60 (≈ $2,500) rounded up), at earned income up to SEK 58,608, (≈ $5,840) then increased by 20% of income above that amount.
- SEK 17,400 a year (≈ $1,730) · Lowest basic allowance at high income 2026 (0.293 price base amounts), applying at earned income above SEK 466,496 (≈ $46,500).
- SEK 59,200 a year (≈ $5,900) · Price base amount (prisbasbelopp) 2026, on which the basic allowance is calculated.
- SEK 47,100 a year (≈ $4,700) · Maximum general pension fee 2026: 7% of earned income up to this amount, fully returned as a tax reduction.
Tax residence
A person is liable to tax on worldwide income if domiciled in Sweden (population register), staying regularly in Sweden (six consecutive months or more; short departures do not interrupt) or having significant connections to Sweden after moving away. Persons not within these tests are taxed only on certain Swedish-source income. SINK stay limit is six months.
Visas
Independent of permit.
Other taxes
SINK rate fell from 25% to 22.5% for income received after 31 December 2025. General pension fee 7% of earned income up to SEK 47,100 (≈ $4,700) with a 100% tax reduction; earned-income tax credit (jobbskatteavdrag) up to SEK 53,147 (≈ $5,300) under age 66 in 2026. Funeral fee averages 0.292% of taxable income, and church fee is paid by members of a registered faith community. Employer social contributions (31.42% general) are paid by the employer and not deducted from pay.
Checked against official sources on Change log
VAT, social security and other taxes
- Valid seven years from start of stay for decisions from 1 January 2024 (five years before that, three before 2021).
- SINK rate fell from 25% to 22.5% for income received after 31 December 2025. General pension fee 7% of earned income up to SEK 47,100 (≈ $4,700) with a 100% tax reduction; earned-income tax credit (jobbskatteavdrag) up to SEK 53,147 (≈ $5,300) under age 66 in 2026. Funeral fee averages 0.292% of taxable income, and church fee is paid by members of a registered faith community. Employer social contributions (31.42% general) are paid by the employer and not deducted from pay.
Questions people ask
Who qualifies for Expert tax relief?
Not a Swedish citizen; no residence or habitual abode in Sweden in the five calendar years before work starts; intends to stay at most seven years. Independent of the permit type; a positive Board decision is required.
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Sources (9)
Official sources
- About tax relief (expert tax relief) · Taxation of Research Workers Board (Forskarskattenämnden) · checked 2026-10-11
- Conditions for tax relief · Taxation of Research Workers Board (Forskarskattenämnden) · checked 2026-10-11
- Remuneration rate for tax relief · Taxation of Research Workers Board (Forskarskattenämnden) · checked 2026-10-11
- Marginal tax · Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) · checked 2026-10-10
- SINK special income tax for foreign residents · Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) · checked 2026-10-11
- Belopp och procent inkomstår 2026: average municipal tax rate, general pension fee, break point · Skatteverket · checked 2026-10-11
- Teknisk beskrivning SKV 433, utgåva 36: skattetabeller inkomstår 2026 (statlig inkomstskatt 20% över 643 000 kr, grundavdrag) · Skatteverket · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-12-10
- Skiktgränser, brytpunkter, prisbasbelopp m.m. 2020 to 2026 · Skatteverket · checked 2026-10-10
- Liability for taxation (unlimited and limited tax liability) · Skatteverket · checked 2026-10-10