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WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in March 2023?

The release of the annual tax return, cheaper electricity and a switch to summertime. Here's what to look out for in Denmark this March.

Published: 28 February 2023 17:47 CET
Signs of Spring, Denmark
Spring is coming. The change to summertime on March 26th means an end to dark evenings. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix
The release of personal tax returns – årsopgørelse 
The release of the årsopgørelse (annual tax return, calculated and displayed on the SKAT website) is possibly the most important event on the Danish tax calendar. You can access the annual tax returns from March.
 
Within a set deadline which falls at the beginning of May, taxpayers can edit their tax information, such as changing income or tax exemption information.
 
Around three out of four taxpayers in Denmark get refunds after the yearly annual return, although others have to pay money back to the tax authority.
Prior to the publication of the annual return, you can check how much tax you’ve paid or are due to pay during the course of the year and edit your income and deductions on the preliminary version of the return, the forskudsopgørelse.
 
READ ALSO:
Cheaper electricity on the way for 2.5 million Danish customers
Two energy grid companies, Cerius and Radius Elnet, are to reduce their tariffs from March 1st. The two companies operate on Zealand and the smaller islands Lolland, Falster and Møn.

Tariffs were increased last year because the companies said they had a backlog of additional costs that they wished to trim.

Money raised from tariffs goes toward the cost of maintaining the electric grid and transporting energy to consumers.

The average tariff for customers in Radius’s area — Copenhagen, North Zealand and parts of Central Zealand — should drop by 18 percent from March, while the rest of Zealand will see their tariffs fall an average of 20 percent. 

New inflation package for low income families replaces subsidy scheme

The government has agreed on a package providing financial help to 40,500 young families in Denmark.

A recent winter inflation spending plan designated 300 million kroner for the purpose of assisting families who are struggling to cover costs as a result of inflation. 

It replaces a previous subsidy for families with children, known as børnetilskud, which expires on March 1st. Families who received the old subsidy will qualify for the new one, the government said.

The money will be paid out in two instalments, the first by the end of June and the second in August.

It is a one-off scheme and will not be repeated in 2024.

Government bill may pass to permanently ease work permit rules 

A government bill to permanently change the minimum wage criteria in a key work permit scheme could be voted through in March.

The government says the bill, which will permanently reduce the minimum wage required under the Pay Limit Scheme (Beløbsordning), will make it easier for companies to recruit skilled workers from non-EU countries.

Last year saw a majority in parliament pledge to support a proposal to reduce the Pay Limit scheme from 448,000 kroner per year to 375,000 kroner per year for three years. The proposal was never passed into law because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called an election before it was voted on in parliament.

The new government proposal makes the reduction permanent.

READ ALSO: How can you get a work permit in Denmark if you are not an EU national?

Switch to summertime means light evenings are back
The change to GMT+2 or summertime on Sunday, March 26th means an end to dark evenings for another season. Clocks go forward by one hour at 3am on the 26th, meaning one hour less of sleep that weekend to offset the change.
 
Politicians in Denmark and the EU have in recent years discussed scrapping the twice-yearly changing of the clocks for daylight saving, but it continues for the time being at least.
 
Tivoli Gardens opens for its spring/summer season
As the winter days start to fade, Tivoli in Copenhagen reopens. You have to wait for the end of the month on Friday 31st March but it will remain open until 24th September. There’s a special Easter theme, complete with lambs from 31st March to 10th April.
 

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN DENMARK

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in April 2023?

New work permit rules come into force, Easter holidays and tax rebates. Here are the key changes and calendar events in Denmark this April.

Published: 29 March 2023 11:38 CEST
KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in April 2023?

New work permit rules take effect

A government bill which permanently changed the minimum wage criteria in a key work permit scheme, the Pay Limit Scheme, was voted through in March, and takes effect on April 1st.

A lower minimum wage on this scheme means that companies may be able to hire skilled foreign staff from outside the EU on lower annual salaries than under the old version of the scheme. 

This potentially means newer graduates or people in lower-paid sectors could qualify for a work permit in Denmark under the scheme.

It’s not the only change to work permit rules effective from April, because the bill also gave updates to several other work permit schemes, designed to attract more skilled foreign labour to Denmark. You can read about them in more detail in this article.

READ ALSO: How can you get a work permit in Denmark if you are not an EU national?

Extended deadline for post-Brexit residency applications 

The government announced in March that British nationals, who had missed a previous deadline to secure their post-Brexit residency status, will now have until the end of 2023 to apply or resubmit their late application.

After the UK left the EU, Britons resident in Denmark before the end of 2020 were required to apply to extend their residence status in Denmark and receive a Danish residence card under the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

A significant number of British residents – at least 350, according to official figures released at the beginning of this year – did not apply before the original deadline of December 31st, 2021.

There were major administrative issues with the original process, and the government eventually decided to extend its deadline to the end of this year. This means people who applied after the original deadline and whose applications were subsequently not processed can reapply. People who never submitted an application by the original deadline can also now do so.

READ ALSO: ‘We’ve found a solution’: Denmark extends deadline for post-Brexit residency

The deadline extension requires a legal amendment which will be to parliament procedure “as soon as possible”, the immigration ministry has said.

It’s not clear whether authorities will begin accepting applications again in April, but people affected can monitor the website of the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), the agency which processes the applications. We will also report all updates on our website.

Tax rebates to be paid out

Denmark’s tax authority SKAT opened access to annual tax returns on March 13th.

Annual tax returns (årsopgørelser) in Denmark cover calendar years. They are released in March and finalised in late spring, meaning taxpayers have this period to correct the information on their tax returns from the previous calendar year.

The returns account for income over the preceding tax year as well as deductions and taxes paid.

Normally, around three in four people receive money back from the tax authorities once the return is finalised. The amount paid back varies and depends on individual circumstances.

Rebates from the tax system will be automatically paid back in 2023 from April 14th onwards, so if you have already logged in and completed your annual return (or do it soon) you could receive any money due in April. In some cases, it may take longer for the tax authority to pay out rebates.

READ ALSO: Årsopgørelse: How to check whether you are due money as Denmark releases tax returns

Tivoli Gardens opens for its spring/summer season

It still feels like winter in Denmark at the end of March and beginning of April, but this doesn’t stop major Copenhagen attraction Tivoli from reopening for its spring and summer season.

Tivoli officially reopens its doors on Friday March  31st and the season lasts until September 24th. There’s a special Easter theme, complete with lambs, from March 31st to April 10th.

Easter holidays

While we’re on the subject of Easter, the school Easter break starts on Friday March 31st for most schools (although this can vary locally, depending on when the municipality decides to place the school holiday).

“Easter week” is the week commencing April 3rd, with Palm Sunday, technically a public holiday, falling on Sunday April 2nd. The remaining Easter public holidays fall at the end of the week: Maundy Thursday on April 6th, Good Friday on April 7th, Easter Sunday on April 9th and Easter Monday on April 10th.

Some people will have the entire week off to match up with schools, but even those who don’t will enjoy a five-day break from work from April 6th-10th (unless their job requires them to work holidays).

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about travel to, from and around Denmark this Easter

Switch to summer tyres (if the weather isn’t freezing)

Alternating between winter and summer tyres is not a legal requirement in Denmark, but is broadly recommended, including by FDM, the Danish membership organisation for motorists.

Neighbouring Sweden, Norway and Germany – where many Danish residents head on skiing and other holidays during the colder months – all have rules requiring winter tyres and the practice is common in Denmark, not least for those who may need to take their cars over the border.

Most people switch back to summer tyres at Easter, which this year falls on April 9th, with the ‘Easter holidays’ being the week leading up to this (plus Easter Monday on the 10th).

March’s weather has shown scant signs of the approaching spring, so it’s worth checking upcoming forecasts if you want to switch to summer tyres this Easter.

More about the practice of using winter and summer tyres in Denmark can be found in this article.

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