Tougher sentences and tax cuts: Sweden's new laws in 2024
Extra powers for security guards, cheaper fuel and tougher punishments for gun crimes. Here are some of the new laws which came into force on January 1st, 2024.
Some of the most controversial new laws Sweden's government has passed since taking office in November 2022 came into force on New Year's Day this year, including a sharp reduction in the biofuels obligation and tougher punishments for gun crimes.
Here are some of the main new laws:
Cut to biofuels obligation
The cut in the biofuels obligation, or reduktionsplikt. According to the schedule brought in by the former Social Democrat-led government, diesel at the pump would have had to include 40 percent biofuels in 2024 while petrol would have had to include 12.5 percent biofuels.
Under a deal agreed between the government and the far-right Sweden Democrat's and passed as part of the budget, this will now be reduced to 6 percent for both fuels.
The government expects this to make diesel about 5.5 kronor cheaper per litre, and petrol slightly cheaper.
Reduced tax on petrol and diesel
The tax on petrol in Sweden will also be 75 öre less and the tax on diesel about 43 öre less than what it would have been under previous proposals for 2024. The tax rate will, however, be slightly higher than what it was in 2023.
Increase in the earned income tax credit
The jobbskatteavdrag, a rebate on tax paid on income from employment, will be increased, meaning someone with an income of 16,667 kronor a month pays 192 kronor less in tax a month, something with an income of 35,000 kronor a month pays 410 kronor less in tax a month, and someone earning 125,000 kronor a month pays 770 kronor less in tax a month.
Lower tax on pensions
The so-called "basic deduction" has been lowered, which, according to Sweden's finance minister, Elisabeth Svantesson, will mean that someone with a pension of 25,000 kronor a month receives about 3,400 kronor a year more in their pension.
Electric scooters require traffic insurance
Sweden's law on traffic insurance was extended in December 23rd to cover electric scooters, with the owners of the scooter expected to register and pay for insurance. This will bring additional costs to companies such as Lime and Voi, which own and operate the estimated 30,000 rentable electric scooters on Sweden's streets.
No need to buy yet a new charging cable with mobile phones
As of December 28th, companies selling mobile phones are required to offer customers phones without charging cables bundled in, so that people who already own too many charging cables can avoid bringing yet another one home. The rule will be extended to computer charging cables in 2026.
Extra powers for security guards
From January 1st, security guards employed by private companies are allowed to carry out a range of new tasks including transporting people who have been arrested by police and destroying alcohol that they have seized. The situations for which municipalities are permitted to use private security guards has also been expanded.
Increased punishments for gun crime
From January 1st, the minimum punishment for serious weapons offences or grova vapenbrott, is being increased from two years to four years, while the maximum punishment is increased from four years to seven years. The maximum punishement for less serious weapons crimes is also being increased, from three years to five years.
Return of employment tax for 15-18 year olds
The government is abolishing the reduction in employment tax for employees between the ages of 15 and 18 brought in back in 2019 as part of the January Agreement between the Centre Party and the Social Democrats.
This means that tax rate employers pay for these employers will increase from 10.21 percent to 31.42 percent.
Digital meetings for housing cooperatives and listed companies
It will be possible for housing cooperatives (bostadsrättsförening) listed companies, and other organisations to hold official meetings or stämmor digitally. To do so, the organisation must change their statutes to allow digital meetings.
Physical searches for foreigners
Police in Sweden will be able to search foreign citizens physically for passports or identity documents and to, if necessary, seize such documents if they stop them at a so-called "internal control of aliens", or inre utlänningskontroll.
Under the rules of the Schengen Agreement between EU member states, police can carry out spot checks on foreigners within their national boundaries.
Laws which are expected to come into force later in 2024
From February 1st, the government wants prosecutors to be able to ban people from entering certain areas if they are suspected of intending to carry out crimes in such areas – even if those people have yet to be convicted of a crime.
From March 1st, the government wants police to be able to set up temporary stop-and-search zones where people can be physically searched for weapons or drugs without police having a concrete reason to suspect them of a crime.
Neither of these laws have yet been passed by the parliament, however.
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Some of the most controversial new laws Sweden's government has passed since taking office in November 2022 came into force on New Year's Day this year, including a sharp reduction in the biofuels obligation and tougher punishments for gun crimes.
Here are some of the main new laws:
Cut to biofuels obligation
The cut in the biofuels obligation, or reduktionsplikt. According to the schedule brought in by the former Social Democrat-led government, diesel at the pump would have had to include 40 percent biofuels in 2024 while petrol would have had to include 12.5 percent biofuels.
Under a deal agreed between the government and the far-right Sweden Democrat's and passed as part of the budget, this will now be reduced to 6 percent for both fuels.
The government expects this to make diesel about 5.5 kronor cheaper per litre, and petrol slightly cheaper.
Reduced tax on petrol and diesel
The tax on petrol in Sweden will also be 75 öre less and the tax on diesel about 43 öre less than what it would have been under previous proposals for 2024. The tax rate will, however, be slightly higher than what it was in 2023.
Increase in the earned income tax credit
The jobbskatteavdrag, a rebate on tax paid on income from employment, will be increased, meaning someone with an income of 16,667 kronor a month pays 192 kronor less in tax a month, something with an income of 35,000 kronor a month pays 410 kronor less in tax a month, and someone earning 125,000 kronor a month pays 770 kronor less in tax a month.
Lower tax on pensions
The so-called "basic deduction" has been lowered, which, according to Sweden's finance minister, Elisabeth Svantesson, will mean that someone with a pension of 25,000 kronor a month receives about 3,400 kronor a year more in their pension.
Electric scooters require traffic insurance
Sweden's law on traffic insurance was extended in December 23rd to cover electric scooters, with the owners of the scooter expected to register and pay for insurance. This will bring additional costs to companies such as Lime and Voi, which own and operate the estimated 30,000 rentable electric scooters on Sweden's streets.
No need to buy yet a new charging cable with mobile phones
As of December 28th, companies selling mobile phones are required to offer customers phones without charging cables bundled in, so that people who already own too many charging cables can avoid bringing yet another one home. The rule will be extended to computer charging cables in 2026.
Extra powers for security guards
From January 1st, security guards employed by private companies are allowed to carry out a range of new tasks including transporting people who have been arrested by police and destroying alcohol that they have seized. The situations for which municipalities are permitted to use private security guards has also been expanded.
Increased punishments for gun crime
From January 1st, the minimum punishment for serious weapons offences or grova vapenbrott, is being increased from two years to four years, while the maximum punishment is increased from four years to seven years. The maximum punishement for less serious weapons crimes is also being increased, from three years to five years.
Return of employment tax for 15-18 year olds
The government is abolishing the reduction in employment tax for employees between the ages of 15 and 18 brought in back in 2019 as part of the January Agreement between the Centre Party and the Social Democrats.
This means that tax rate employers pay for these employers will increase from 10.21 percent to 31.42 percent.
Digital meetings for housing cooperatives and listed companies
It will be possible for housing cooperatives (bostadsrättsförening) listed companies, and other organisations to hold official meetings or stämmor digitally. To do so, the organisation must change their statutes to allow digital meetings.
Physical searches for foreigners
Police in Sweden will be able to search foreign citizens physically for passports or identity documents and to, if necessary, seize such documents if they stop them at a so-called "internal control of aliens", or inre utlänningskontroll.
Under the rules of the Schengen Agreement between EU member states, police can carry out spot checks on foreigners within their national boundaries.
Laws which are expected to come into force later in 2024
From February 1st, the government wants prosecutors to be able to ban people from entering certain areas if they are suspected of intending to carry out crimes in such areas – even if those people have yet to be convicted of a crime.
From March 1st, the government wants police to be able to set up temporary stop-and-search zones where people can be physically searched for weapons or drugs without police having a concrete reason to suspect them of a crime.
Neither of these laws have yet been passed by the parliament, however.
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