This is how you report and pay VAT
You report VAT in a VAT return. The simplest way to file a VAT return is to use our e-service. To use this service, you or your representative will need a Swedish e-identification.
If you are registered for VAT but you can not use the e-service, you can download a form for declaring VAT:
When you have filled in your form, print it and send it to us by post.
You can register to report VAT on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis. VAT must be paid into your tax account with the Swedish Tax Agency on the same day as the VAT return is due to be filed. The date is pre-filled in the VAT return, which also states whether your company has to report VAT annually, quarterly or monthly.
Reporting periods
The estimated VAT due to be paid determines which reporting period is applicable, but you can also make certain choices about your preferred reporting period. The options are outlined in the table below.
Permitted reporting periods according to turnover:
Deadlines for reporting and paying VAT
The relevant deadlines for reporting VAT are outlined here. Please note the deadlines that apply to your reporting period.
If all of the following conditions apply, you must report and pay VAT in conjunction with filing your income tax return:
- your reporting period is for the entire Swedish fiscal year
- you have not traded within the EU
- you are required to file an income tax return and a VAT return
If your reporting period is for the entire Swedish fiscal year, but you are not required to file an income tax return, or you have traded within the EU, you must report and pay VAT no later than the 26th day of the second month following your reporting period (the exception is December, when the deadline is the 27th day of the month).
Your deadlines for reporting and paying VAT depend on when the Swedish fiscal year ends, and whether you file the VAT and PAYE returns via the e-service or on paper. All reporting and payment deadlines are outlined in the table below.
Sole traders
If all of the following conditions apply, you must report and pay VAT on 12 May the year after the end of the Swedish fiscal year in question:
- your reporting period is for the entire Swedish fiscal year
- you have not engaged in trade within the EU
- you are required to file an income tax return
If your company uses a representative to file VAT returns, your representative may be entitled to respite on reporting and paying VAT until 26 June.
If your reporting period is the calendar quarter, you must report and pay VAT by the 12th of the second month following the reporting period in question. (The exception is August, when the deadline is the 17th).
Example
A VAT return for the January to March reporting period must be received by the Swedish Tax Agency by 12 May at the latest.
If your reporting period is the calendar month, you have two possible VAT return deadlines:
- The 12th of the second month following the end of the reporting period (apart from in January and August, when the deadline is the 17th). This applies to any company with a total turnover (for the Swedish fiscal year) of up to SEK 40 million, provided that you have not been given an earlier VAT return deadline at your own request.
- The 26th of the month following the end of the reporting period (apart from in December, when the deadline is the 27th). This apples to any company with a total turnover (for the Swedish fiscal year) higher than SEK 40 million.
You do not have to submit copies of invoices when filing your VAT return. However, the Swedish Tax Agency may ask you to send in copies of your invoices so that your VAT reporting can be checked or investigated. Invoices serve as the basis for a company’s right to reclaim VAT.
If you discover that you have made a mistake in a VAT return that has already been filed, you must fill in and file a new VAT return for the given period. You can also send a letter or e-mail to the Swedish Tax Agency, explaining which corrections need to be made to the VAT return.
The Swedish Tax Agency will treat this as a request for a review of your VAT return, so you must make any necessary changes within six years of the end of the Swedish fiscal year in question.
If the Swedish Tax Agency discovers that you have provided incorrect information, you may be obliged to pay a fee known as a tax surcharge.
There are two different methods for VAT-related bookkeeping, accounting and reporting: the accrual accounting method (“faktureringsmetoden”) and the cash accounting method (“bokslutsmetoden”). There are also specific regulations for certain types of transactions, including accounting relating to building services and imports.
If your turnover is up to SEK 3 million, you can choose to use the cash accounting method. You enter your business transactions in the books when you receive or make a payment. When you close the books at the end of the financial year, you must also register any unpaid claims or debts.
Reporting VAT for the correct reporting period
You must report VAT in your VAT return for the reporting period during which you made a sale or purchase.
You must report VAT on the following in each reporting period:
- cash payments
- payments in the form of goods or services (exchanges)
- advances or payments on account for goods or services
- the value of any withdrawals made
The last VAT return of the fiscal year
In the return for the last reporting period of the Swedish fiscal year, you must also report the VAT on any unpaid invoices. In other words, invoice payment determines when VAT should be reported, apart from when you close the books for the financial year. Be sure not to report these invoices again when you pay them during a subsequent reporting period.
Special regulations on reporting periods
Special regulations on when VAT must be reported apply in some circumstances. Examples include:
- trade within the EU
- some sales on credit with right of repossession
- building and construction services
- withdrawals
- business transfer
- termination of business activities
If you are obliged to carry out bookkeeping and have an annual turnover of more than SEK 3 million, you must register all financial transactions carried out within your business. This means that you should use the accrual accounting method for VAT accounting.
Reporting VAT for the correct reporting period
You must report VAT in your return for the reporting period during which the sale or purchase should have been booked.
The main principle is that you must book and report the following:
- output VAT in connection with each invoice you send to a customer, normally on the date of the invoice
- input VAT when you receive an invoice from a supplier, normally on the date of its arrival
Reporting advance payments
If you receive an advance payment or a payment on account (an advance installment payment), you must report the output VAT. If you make such a payment, you must report the input VAT. You can only make a deduction for VAT on an advance invoice when the invoice has been paid.
Special regulations on reporting periods
Special regulations on when VAT must be reported apply in some circumstances. Examples include:
- trade within the EU
- some sales on credit with right of repossession
- building and construction services
- withdrawals
- business transfer
- termination of business activities.
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