Inspection visits: population registration

The Swedish Tax Agency can carry out an inspection visit to someone’s home when we have not succeeded in contacting them. We can also carry out inspection visits when we receive reports of suspected population registration errors.

Various reasons for inspection visits

We decide whether to carry out inspection visits on the basis of alerts from our data processing systems, our own investigations, or the reports we receive from other organisations. We receive about 120,000 population registration error reports from private individuals, property owners and government agencies every year. They may report suspected population registration errors relating to individuals who:

• are listed in the Swedish Population Register but do not live in Sweden
• live in Sweden but are not listed in the Swedish Population Register
• are listed in the Swedish Population Register at the wrong address

Here’s how an inspection visit works

Inspection visits relating to population registration are carried out by our case administrators. First, they ring on the doorbell, introduce themselves to you and show you their professional identity cards. They will also let you see the decision notice connected with the inspection visit itself. This will explain why they are there. You will then have the opportunity to choose whether or not to allow the case administrators to come into your home and carry out the inspection visit.

If you want to be certain that these people are from the Swedish Tax Agency, you can call the safety and security solutions provider Securitas to check. The number to call is stated on the case administrators’ professional identity cards. During the call, you will be asked to read out some of the digits on each case administrator's identity card. To Securitas, these numbers serve as verification codes.

If such a visit is made to your home, you will be asked provide proof of your identity. You might also be asked how long you’ve lived there, and whether there are usually more people staying at this address.

The case administrators may take photographs outside your home – for example, of other postboxes, or of cars parked in the area. The Swedish Tax Agency is not authorised to search an apartment or look inside cupboards and drawers.