(edit title) Kyrkoavgift (church tax) Anyone know about this? Options

[*Guest*]

Hi all,

I have recently moved to sweden and have to my relative horror (being an aetheist), discovered that I have been "by default" signed up to pay church taxes.

Does anyone have experience with leaving, and how to get your employer to fix up the tax payments? Also, is there any way to recoup what I have paid so far?

//ags

[Lostaussie]

You can transfer it to death tax but I did it so long ago I forget now how it was done. I think I notified Skatteverket. You dont save anything, am pretty sure about that.

[Bender B Rodriquez]

You cannot leave retroactively. Contact Svenska Kyrkan to get a form to sign out.
The tax is about 1% and it will be corrected automatically, there is nothing your employer needs to do.

[Puffin]

I'm sorry but only members of the Church of Sweden pay church tax - it has not been a compulsory tax fo 10 years. You have to formally apply to be a member as well. The Swedish church and a number of other churches have the right to levy a 1% tax on members which is administered by Skatteverket - is it possible that you ticked the wrong box when you registered with Skatteverket. Otherwise I would definitely query the tax if you are not a member

It is however still compulsory to pay the national burial fee regardless of your religious beliefs which is 0.22% - this is to cover the kommun and church costs of burial and cremation

Information can be found here
http://www.skatteverket.se/skatter/privat/...bc80005629.html

[Rick Methven]

My Wife as a native Swede pays the Kyrkoavgift of 2% as she was reistered as a church member.
As being non-swedish, I pay the Begravningsavgift of 0.23%

I did not have to apply for this (leave the church) as I was never a member.

[Rick Methven]

It is however still compulsory to pay the national burial fee regardless of your religious beliefs which is 0.22% - this is to cover the kommun and church costs of burial and cremation

You only pay 0.22% in Dalana! when I pay 0.23%
Cheaper to die there is it ?

[maggieisthebest]

You made my day. Was so tired now I m laughing my... off. Enjoy!!! That was extreme funny.

[Rick Methven]

Actually, I've just done some calculations and I think I'll stay down here in Linköping.

At my age, considering the cost of upping sticks and moving up to the frozen north, the saving of 0.01% on my tax would not be felt before I pop my clogs in any case.

Sorry Puffin but I will not be joining you 'uup north'

[HALE]

My husband's side of the family contacted the local church, they sent a form and signed out.
As far as Death tax..not sure. They have abolished inheritance tax now as well.
None of our family get buried, our ashes are always scattered in the sea, it is because we are all over the world. It allows us feel at peace near water and think of our loved ones, so I am not sure if we get charged this bury tax either.

[Puffin]

Everyone gets charged the burial tax - it is not only for burials - it covers the cost of maintaining crematoriums as well

[Rick Methven]

My husband's side of the family contacted the local church, they sent a form and signed out.As far as Death tax..not sure. They have abolished inheritance tax now as well. ... (show full quote)

My husband's side of the family contacted the local church, they sent a form and signed out.
As far as Death tax..not sure. They have abolished inheritance tax now as well.
None of our family get buried, our ashes are always scattered in the sea, it is because we are all over the world. It allows us feel at peace near water and think of our loved ones, so I am not sure if we get charged this bury tax either. ... (hide full quote)

You have to pay the Begravningsavgift it covers cremation as well as burial. You will have to cremated before you can scatter the ashes on the sea.

I don't expect its legal to just dump a body at sea without cremating it first

[Ankinette]

I'm sorry but only members of the Church of Sweden pay church tax - it has not been a compulsory tax fo 10 years. You have to formally apply to be a member as well. The Sw ... (show full quote)

I'm sorry but only members of the Church of Sweden pay church tax - it has not been a compulsory tax fo 10 years. You have to formally apply to be a member as well. The Swedish church and a number of other churches have the right to levy a 1% tax on members which is administered by Skatteverket - is it possible that you ticked the wrong box when you registered with Skatteverket. Otherwise I would definitely query the tax if you are not a member

It is however still compulsory to pay the national burial fee regardless of your religious beliefs which is 0.22% - this is to cover the kommun and church costs of burial and cremation

Information can be found here
http://www.skatteverket.se/skatter/privat/...bc80005629.html ... (hide full quote)

Sorry to resuscitate such an old thread but i, and maybe many who watched Solsidan on Sunday , have just learnt about that Church tax! Does everyone pay it as soon as they are registered here in Sweden?
Puffin seemed to say that there is the 'main' tax that u only pay if you have gone into a church and have asked to join the Church of Sweden and the burial tax that u have to pay and cant opt out from?
But people talk about opting out from these taxes, so it must mean that everyone is automatically on it or something? And if so how can i opt out?!
Thanks everyone :-)

[Puffin]

Under current rules everyone pays burial tax through their taxes of 0.22% (apart from residents of Stockholm and Tranås who pay this seperately). It is not linked specifically to your own burial but to the general costs of maintaining cold storage, cremotorium, graveyards etc

Church taxes since the Church of Sweden was disenstablished from the state If you are a recent resident you have in all probability never been registered to pay - however prior to disestablishment people tended to be registered and can now choose to leave - although you lose rights to free access to certain church services/events

There are also other churches that collect their membership fees via Skatteverket
- the Swedish Mission church
- the Roman Catholic Church
- the Swedish Alliance mission
- the Swedish Baptist church
- the Evangelical free church
- the Salvation Army
- The Swedish Methodist Church
- The Pingst free chuch
- the Swedish Syrian orthodox church

But the bottom line is that only members of the churches pay and you can choose to leave the church

[Ankinette]

So the burial tax is compulsory right? And would you know how to find out if i pay this other church tax? I am registered with SV only since august this year (well i arrived last june but august is when i got my pn)

[Puffin]

you will se which taxes have been taken when you get you first tax declaration form around march 2013 or you can call SV

Everyone pays the burial tax - but these days to be paying Church tax you would have signed a form to authorize this