Sweden: Bank tax measure, reduced energy tax for farmers in spring budget

The government today, 19 April 2022, presented its spring budget.

The spring budget does not include significant tax proposals, but it does include measures concerning the risk tax for credit institutions (the “bank tax”) as well as proposals to reduce the energy tax with regard to energy used in certain water, soil, and forestry operations. 

The government used the spring budget as an opportunity to address an announcement from the Riksdag (the Parliament) regarding the risk tax for credit institutions—the “bank tax.”

The bank tax is imposed on the debt of credit institutions—hence, a “risk tax” (riskskatt). The tax applies for banks and other credit institutions that are part of groups with total liabilities attributable to operations in Sweden exceeding SEK 150 billion for 2021. The tax basis is the amount of liabilities (with certain exceptions) generally referred to as a “simplified indebtedness.” Read TaxNewsFlash

In accordance with the announcement from the Riksdag, municipalities and regions would be compensated for their increased costs for financing, due to Kommuninvest* being affected by the bank tax. The Riksdag also had requested that the government propose a bill that would exempt Kommuninvest from the bank tax. In the spring budget, the government announced that such a proposal is being prepared.

In February 2022, the government announced SEK 300 million in temporary relief to support agriculture in the form of a reduced energy tax. In the spring budget, the government presented bills that would implement these reduced energy tax measures.

The proposal to reduce the energy tax has been formulated as an addition to a current exemption from the carbon dioxide tax—an exemption that applies to fuel that is used or consumed in aquaculture, agriculture or forestry activities. A prerequisite for being able to benefit from the exemption is that the fuel must be used in the operations of ships, certain boats, and motor vehicles (other than cars, trucks and buses).

Aquaculture, agriculture, and forestry farmers already benefiting from the carbon dioxide tax exemption would qualify for the new energy tax exemption.

• The scope of the new energy tax exemption is initially proposed to apply from 1 July to 1 October 2022, as SEK 1,061 per cubic meter of fuel. The amount would then increase to 2,111 per cubic meter until 1 July 2023. Thereafter, the energy tax exemption would be terminated.
• At the same time as the temporary support would be withdrawn, the government proposes that the carbon tax exemption be reduced, from the current level of SEK 2,292 per cubic meter to SEK 1,930 per cubic meter.

Read an April 2022 report (Swedish) prepared by the KPMG member firm in Sweden