File Your Danish Tax Return in English

Updated By exploringdenmark

Every March, SKAT sends you a pre-filled tax return (årsopgørelse). Most of it is already correct – but checking it and claiming your deductions can save you thousands of DKK. Here’s how to do it entirely in English.

skat.dk/tastselv SKAT Årsopgørelse 2025 Indkomst (Income)540,000 Fradrag (Deductions)−54,200 Skat i alt (Total tax)198,400 Overskydende skat+4,830 DKK 🌐 English

How the Danish tax return works

Denmark’s tax return is fundamentally different from most countries. SKAT (the tax authority) pre-fills almost everything – your salary, bank interest, pension contributions, and property values are all reported automatically by your employer, bank, and pension company. Your job is to check it’s correct and add anything missing (primarily deductions).

Most expats either get a refund (because deductions were missed) or owe nothing extra (because withholding was accurate). Owing additional tax is rare unless you had unreported income.

When to file

  • March 2026: SKAT publishes your årsopgørelse (preliminary tax assessment) for 2025 on skat.dk
  • May 1, 2026: Deadline to correct your return and claim additional deductions
  • June-August 2026: Refunds are paid out (if owed) or additional tax is collected
Don’t ignore it

If you don’t check your årsopgørelse, SKAT assumes the pre-filled numbers are correct. You may miss legitimate deductions worth DKK 2,000-10,000+. Always log in and review.

How to log in (in English)

Go to skat.dk

Open skat.dk in your browser. Click the language switcher (globe icon) at the top right and select English. Not everything is translated, but the key sections are.

Log in with MitID

Click”Log on” and authenticate with MitID (the app or code display). You’ll be taken to your TastSelv (self-service) portal.

Find your årsopgørelse

Navigate to”Årsopgørelse” (annual tax assessment). Select the relevant tax year (2025). The page shows your pre-filled income, deductions, and calculated tax – plus whether you owe or are owed a refund.

Step-by-step: reviewing your return

Check your income (Indkomst)

Verify your total salary matches your payslips. Check for any freelance income, rental income, or foreign income that may not be pre-filled. Interest income from banks is usually pre-filled correctly.

Check deductions (Fradrag)

This is where most expats leave money on the table. The main deductions are: commuter deduction (befordringsfradrag), interest on loans, union fees (fagforeningskontingent), and A-kasse contributions. See below for the full list.

Add missing deductions

Click”Ret årsopgørelse” (correct annual statement) to add any deductions that weren’t pre-filled. The commuter deduction (kørselsfradrag) is the most commonly missed one – SKAT can’t know your commute distance automatically.

Review the result

After corrections, the system recalculates. You’ll see either”Overskydende skat” (tax refund owed to you) or”Restskat” (additional tax you owe). The amount is shown in DKK.

Submit

Click to confirm. Refunds are paid to your NemKonto automatically in the following months. If you owe restskat, it’s collected via your tax card over the following year (or as a lump sum if small).

What to check – the 5-minute review

  • Total salary – does it match your annual gross from all payslips?
  • Employer pension contributions – should be pre-filled but verify
  • Bank interest – both paid (on loans, deductible) and received (on savings, taxable)
  • Property value – if you own Danish property, the ejendomsværdi should be listed
  • Commuter deduction – almost never pre-filled, must be added manually
  • Foreign income – if you earned anything outside Denmark, it must be declared

Deductions most expats miss

  • Befordringsfradrag (commuter deduction) – if your round-trip commute exceeds 24 km, you get a deduction. Worth DKK 2,000-8,000/year for most commuters. Enter your work address and home address; SKAT calculates the amount.
  • Fagforeningskontingent (union fees) – up to DKK 7,000/year is deductible. Usually pre-filled if your union reports to SKAT, but check.
  • A-kasse contributions – unemployment insurance fees are deductible. Usually pre-filled.
  • Rentefradrag (interest deduction) – interest on mortgages, student loans, and other debt is deductible at ~33%. Danish bank loan interest is pre-filled; foreign loan interest must be entered manually.
  • Håndværkerfradrag (home improvement) – certain home services (cleaning, gardening, repair) are partially deductible. Limits and rules change yearly.
  • Donations (gaver) – donations to approved charities (godkendte foreninger) are deductible up to DKK 18,300/year (2026).

Commuter Tax Deduction Calculator →
Enter your commute distance and see your exact befordringsfradrag.

Refund timeline

If you’re owed a refund (overskydende skat), it’s paid directly to your NemKonto. Typical timeline: March-April filing → June-August refund. The exact date depends on when SKAT processes your return. You’ll receive a notification in e-Boks when it’s ready.

If you owe additional tax (restskat), amounts under DKK 22,200 are added to your tax card for the following year (spread across 12 months). Larger amounts may require a lump payment.

Common mistakes

Avoid these

  1. Not logging in at all – you miss deductions and potential refunds.
  2. Forgetting the commuter deduction – this is free money for anyone commuting >24 km round trip.
  3. Not declaring foreign income – rental income from your home country, freelance work, or foreign interest must be declared. SKAT does cross-border data sharing.
  4. Ignoring e-Boks notifications – SKAT sends important letters about your tax assessment. Missing them can mean missed deadlines.
  5. Not claiming foreign loan interest – if you have a mortgage or student loan in your home country, the interest is deductible in Denmark. Enter it manually.