Danish Expat Tax Checklist: Complete Annual Tax Guide for Expats

Living in Denmark as an expat means navigating a tax system that is highly digitalised, strict on deadlines, and demanding about accuracy. Missing a key date or forgetting to report foreign income can result in penalties, incorrect preliminary tax, or lost deductions. This month-by-month checklist keeps you on track all year.

January: Receive Your Preliminary Income Assessment

In January, SKAT sends you your forskudsopgørelse (preliminary income assessment) for the previous year. This document estimates your income and tax for the year based on information from your employer, banks, and pension providers.

What to check:

• Salary figures — does the reported salary match your payslips?
• Deductions — are job-related expenses, commuting costs, and interest deductions included?
• Tax-free allowances — confirm your personal allowance (personfradrag) is applied correctly
• Researcher tax scheme — if you qualify, check the reduced tax rate is reflected

If anything is wrong, log in to TastSelv at skat.dk/tastselv and correct it. Errors here affect your preliminary tax for the entire year.

February: Review Your Tax Assessment Notice

In February or March, SKAT issues your årsopgørelse (annual assessment) for the previous year. This is the final word on your tax for that year — compare it against your records.

Key boxes to check:

Errors in these boxes are common for expats, especially boxes 452, 454, and 496. If you invested through a foreign broker, SKAT may not have received the data automatically. Correct any errors through TastSelv.

March–April: File Your Tax Return

For most employees, the filing deadline is 1 May. Self-employed individuals have until 1 July (or later with an extension).

What to do:

1. Log in to TastSelv — review the pre-filled årsopgørelse
2. Add missing information — foreign income, crypto gains, freelance income
3. Claim deductions — job-related expenses, professional memberships, commuting costs
4. Update forskudsopgørelse for current year — adjust expected salary, deductions, and commuting costs for the current tax year

Updating the forskudsopgørelse ensures your employer withholds the correct amount of tax each month. If you underpay during the year, you may owe a large amount in October.

April: Pay Preliminary Tax (Self-Employed)

If you are self-employed (enkeltmandsvirksomhed or ApS), you pay preliminary tax (kildeskud) quarterly:

Failure to pay on time results in sinkingsgebyr (late payment penalty) plus interest. Set up automatic payments through Betalingsservice or calendar reminders.

May: Receive Holiday Pay

In May, your employer pays feriepenge (holiday pay) — 1.25% of your annual salary for each week of earned holiday.

Check that:

• The amount matches your holiday entitlement
• The payment appears in your FerieKonto at feriekonto.dk
• You have enough to cover your summer holiday expenses

Plan your summer finances early. Holiday pay is paid out before your holiday, not during it.

June: Company Tax Return Deadline

The deadline for company tax returns is 30 June. If you are a director of an ApS or A/S, ensure your revisor (accountant) has submitted the annual accounts and corporate tax return on time.

If you requested an extension, the deadline may be 1 July — confirm with your accountant.

July: Foreign Share Purchase Reporting

If you hold shares through a foreign custody account (foreign broker), you must report purchases to SKAT by 1 July.

What to report:

• All share purchases made during the previous year
• The acquisition price and date for each purchase
• The foreign broker’s name and account number

SKAT uses this information to calculate your capital gains tax when you sell. Failure to report can result in a 50% penalty surcharge on any unreported gains.

Use the form “Værdipapirer — køb og salg” in TastSelv, or submit through your tax advisor.

August–September: Review Pension Contributions

By late summer, you should have a clear picture of your pension contributions for the year. Danish pension limits for 2026:

If you have not maximised these limits, consider making additional contributions before year-end. Pension contributions are tax-deductible and reduce your taxable income significantly.

For expats, check that contributions from foreign pension schemes are also reported if they qualify for Danish tax deduction.

October: Pay Final Tax Installment

In October, SKAT sends your slutopgørelse (final tax statement) for the previous year. This shows whether you owe additional tax or are due a refund.

If you owe tax, the payment is typically due in November. You can:

• Pay the full amount at once
• Set up a Betalingsservice payment plan
• Pay in installments (with interest)

If you receive a refund, it is deposited directly into your NemKonto.

November: Year-End Tax Optimization

November is the time to optimize your tax position before 31 December:

• Realise losses — sell underperforming shares to offset gains and reduce your tax bill
• Maximise deductions — make charitable donations, pay professional memberships, and prepay deductible expenses
• Contribute to pension — top up ratepension and aldersopsparing before the deadline
• Review investment portfolio — consider tax-loss harvesting within Danish tax rules
• Gift planning — the annual tax-free gift limit is DKK 73,600 per child (2026). Plan gifts for the new year.

December: Final Tax Payment Deadline

The last quarterly preliminary tax payment for self-employed is due 20 December. For employees, review your year-end tax position and ensure all deductions are claimed.

Checklist for December:

• Verify that all share purchases from the year are reported
• Confirm pension contributions are complete
• Review any foreign income or gains not yet reported
• Set calendar reminders for January–May deadlines
• Update your forskudsopgørelse for the new year if needed

Key Deadlines at a Glance

Common Expat Mistakes

These are the most frequent errors SKAT identifies among expats:

• Forgetting to report foreign income — SKAT does not always receive data from foreign brokers, employers, or pension providers. You must report manually.
• Not claiming foreign tax credit — if you paid withholding tax abroad, you can credit it against Danish tax in box 496. Missing this means double taxation.
• Incorrect forskudsopgørelse — if your preliminary assessment is wrong, you may underpay or overpay tax all year.
• Missing the 55% default tax on first payslip — when you start a new job in Denmark, your first payslip may be taxed at a default rate of 55%. Update your forskudsopgørelse to bring this down to your actual rate.
• Not reporting crypto gains — cryptocurrency is taxed as shares in Denmark. All gains and losses must be reported.
• Missing the 1 July deadline for foreign share purchases — late reporting can result in penalties.

Tips for Staying on Track

• Set calendar reminders — use your phone or email calendar for every deadline listed above
• Keep all documents — store payslips, dividend statements, mortgage statements, and foreign tax certificates digitally
• Use TastSelv regularly — log in at least quarterly to check that your information is up to date
• Consider an accountant for your first year — Danish tax rules are complex, and a professional can save you from costly mistakes
• Join an A-kasse — unemployment insurance fund that also provides tax guidance for expats
• Keep your MitID active — you need it for all interactions with SKAT

Summary

Danish tax compliance for expats is manageable if you follow a structured approach. The key is to act early, check every document SKAT sends you, and report foreign income and gains proactively. Missing deadlines or underreporting income can be expensive — but with this checklist, you can stay organised and minimise your tax burden legally.