Sweden's interest deduction: SEK 84,000 in interest gives SEK 25,200
The deduction is 30% on up to SEK 100,000 of interest and 21% above. Approve your return by 31 March 2026 and the money arrives 7-10 April 2026.
If you paid SEK 84,000 in mortgage interest during 2025, you get a tax reduction of SEK 25,200. That is 30% of the interest.
From 17 March 2026 you can file your tax return in the Swedish Tax Agency's ("Skatteverket") e-service, and if you approve it by 31 March the money can arrive in April 2026. The interest deduction ("ränteavdrag") has two rates.
The basic rule: 30% and 21%
The interest deduction is a tax reduction for a deficit in capital income. It works like this:
- 30% of interest costs up to SEK 100,000,
- 21% of the part above SEK 100,000.
The SEK 100,000 limit applies per person. A couple sharing a loan each have their own limit.
Three examples
| Interest 2025 | How the deduction works | Back |
|---|---|---|
| 84,000 kr, one borrower | 30% of 84,000 kr | 25,200 kr |
| 140,000 kr, one borrower | 30% of 100,000 kr + 21% of 40,000 kr | 38,400 kr |
| 140,000 kr, two borrowers with 70,000 kr each | 30% of 70,000 kr times two | 42,000 kr |
Interest of SEK 84,000 matches roughly a SEK 3,000,000 loan at 2.8%.
The two-borrower example shows why it matters whose name is on the loan. A couple get SEK 3,600 more back when the interest is split equally than when one person carries all of it. The interest rates chapter of the mortgage crash course has more on rates and the deduction.
Your mortgage is pre-filled
Your bank sends a statement of earnings ("kontrolluppgift") to the Tax Agency. Interest on loans with security, such as mortgages, then already appears in the return at item 8.1. Check the amount against your bank's annual statement.
To get the deduction, you must be liable for the loan and the interest must have been paid during the year.
The Tax Agency gives an example: parents are the borrowers on a co-op flat where their child lives. The child pays the interest but gets no deduction, because the child is not liable for the loan. To get the deduction, the child must be a co-borrower.
New for 2025: half deduction on unsecured loans
For the 2025 tax year, new rules apply to loans without security, such as unsecured personal loans ("blancolån"), credit cards, bridging loans and loans from private people. You can deduct only half the interest.
Interest on such loans goes in item 8.8. Enter the full interest there. The Tax Agency halves it itself.
An example: you paid SEK 10,000 in interest on a personal loan in 2025. The deduction is based on SEK 5,000 and comes to SEK 1,500.
From the 2026 tax year, there is no deduction at all for loans without security. That shows in the 2027 tax return.
Dates in 2026
- 6 March 2026: the return is available as a PDF on My Pages.
- 17 March: the e-service opens.
- 31 March: last day to approve without changes for a refund in April.
- 7-10 April: refund if you approved by 31 March.
- 4 May: last day to file without an extension.
- 9-12 June: refund if you filed by 4 May.
Adding or removing an attachment counts as a change. If you make changes, the refund comes in June 2026 at the earliest.
Why you may get less back than you expect
The tax reduction lowers your final tax. If you already paid less preliminary tax during the year, for example after an adjustment ("jämkning"), you have received part of the money in advance. Your refund is then smaller.
If you have other capital income, such as interest on savings accounts, it is first set against your interest costs. Only the deficit gives a tax reduction.
How to check your return
- Open the e-service from 17 March 2026.
- Compare item 8.1 with your banks' annual statements.
- Check that the interest is split correctly if several of you share the loan.
- Add interest on unsecured loans at item 8.8 if it is missing.
- Approve by 31 March if everything is right and you want the money in April 2026.
Sources
- Skatteverket: Deduction for interest costs (Swedish)
- Skatteverket: Dates for the 2026 tax return (Swedish)
- Skatteverket: Tax return (Swedish)
This content is general information, not financial or legal advice. Bolån Radar collects data from banks and authorities and cannot guarantee that it is complete or free of errors. Talk to your bank or an adviser before you decide.