Denmark issues guides to help expats navigate its tax system

Denmark issues guides to help expats navigate its tax system
17 May 2018

Danish tax authority Skat has released new guidelines aimed at explaining the country's tax system to foreigners.

According to The Local, the guides, which are published in five different languages, are intended to simplify information for newcomers trying to navigate Denmark’s tax system after having taken a job there. As of January 2018, more than 200,000 foreign citizens were in paid employment in the Scandinavian country, the tax authority said.

Anne Dorte Erstad Jørgensen, Skat’s head of digital communication and design, continued: "We are well aware that Denmark’s tax rules can be complicated if you are not from Denmark. So we have looked into what exactly foreign people working in Denmark particularly need to know and have structured the guide with information in a simple and user-friendly manner."

The guides, which can be found on Skat’s website, are available in English, German, Romanian, Lithuanian and Polish, which according to the agency are the languages most commonly spoken by foreign workers in Denmark.

They include information on how to apply for a personal tax number and tax card, as well as how to register income and deductions, set up a bank account and an electronic personal keycode known as NemID, which is essential for accessing the tax system and many public and private services.

Emma Woollacott

Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.

Danish tax authority Skat has released new guidelines aimed at explaining the country's tax system to foreigners.

According to The Local, the guides, which are published in five different languages, are intended to simplify information for newcomers trying to navigate Denmark’s tax system after having taken a job there. As of January 2018, more than 200,000 foreign citizens were in paid employment in the Scandinavian country, the tax authority said.

Anne Dorte Erstad Jørgensen, Skat’s head of digital communication and design, continued: "We are well aware that Denmark’s tax rules can be complicated if you are not from Denmark. So we have looked into what exactly foreign people working in Denmark particularly need to know and have structured the guide with information in a simple and user-friendly manner."

The guides, which can be found on Skat’s website, are available in English, German, Romanian, Lithuanian and Polish, which according to the agency are the languages most commonly spoken by foreign workers in Denmark.

They include information on how to apply for a personal tax number and tax card, as well as how to register income and deductions, set up a bank account and an electronic personal keycode known as NemID, which is essential for accessing the tax system and many public and private services.

Emma Woollacott

Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.