Denmark is one of the most popular destinations for people working abroad. Due to its advanced tax system, workers often end up overpaying income tax, which can be legally reclaimed. However, many people are unsure where to start or which documents are required.
This guide is for anyone who worked and paid income tax in Denmark, including people who have already left the country. It explains how to reclaim overpaid Danish income tax, so you can see whether you owe money and how to get it back.
Below we cover who can claim, how the Danish tax system works, the documents you need, the deductions that raise a refund, the claim deadlines, timing and how to apply. If you would rather not deal with SKAT yourself, RT TAX can manage the whole process and claim a tax refund from Denmark on your behalf.
Almost anyone who worked and paid income tax in Denmark may be due a refund. The people who most often qualify are those who worked only part of the year, cross-border commuters (grænsegængere) who live in one country and work in Denmark, students, seasonal workers, and anyone who left Denmark before the year ended.
Overpayments happen for a few common reasons. Your full personal allowance may not have been applied across a short work period, so tax was taken as if you earned a full year’s salary. Your preliminary tax may have been set too high for your actual situation. Or deductions you were entitled to were simply never claimed.
Each of these leaves money sitting with SKAT until you claim it back. If any of this sounds like your situation, you can claim a tax refund from Denmark once your year is reviewed.
Every year, usually in March, the Danish Tax Agency (SKAT) issues an annual tax assessment called Årsopgørelse. This document shows how much you earned, how much tax you paid and whether you are entitled to a refund.
After receiving this document, it is important to check whether your employer provided correct information and whether all tax allowances have been applied.
Once you receive your Årsopgørelse, you can contact RTTAX. Our specialists can help you access the SKAT system, review your tax situation, estimate your potential refund, and advise you on the next steps.
It helps to know the difference between the two documents. The Forskudsopgørelse is the preliminary income assessment, generated around November, that sets your provisional tax and monthly withholding for the year ahead.
The Årsopgørelse is the final assessment, issued the following March, that reconciles what you actually earned against what you paid. If the final figures show you paid too much, submitting or correcting a tax return from Denmark is how that overpayment is recovered.
Understanding how Danish tax is built up makes it clear where overpayments come from. Tax is taken in layers:
During the year, your provisional tax is set by the Forskudsopgørelse. At year-end, the Årsopgørelse reconciles it against your real income and tax. Danish rates, brackets and allowances are adjusted every year, so the exact figures depend on the tax year in question, but the structure stays the same, and the gap between provisional and final tax is where a refund usually appears.
Once the service is confirmed, our team checks whether you have any unpaid tax refunds, unused holiday pay, and whether you have an active NemKonto account, which is required to receive payments.
Based on the analysis, we may recommend the most suitable services, such as tax return correction, holiday pay claim, or NemKonto account setup. This helps ensure that your payments are received safely and as quickly as possible.
In practice, the process runs in a few clear steps:
If some of these are missing, it is rarely a dead end: RT TAX can help you retrieve documents you no longer have, so a lost form does not stop your claim.
Deductions are the main lever on the size of a Danish refund, and they are the biggest reason one person gets more back than another. Some are applied automatically, but many have to be actively claimed, and unclaimed ones can still be recovered by reopening past assessments. The ones that matter most for foreign workers:
Exact rates and limits change each year, so it is worth checking every deduction against your own case. RT TAX reviews which ones apply to you and claims them, so nothing you are owed is left behind.
There is no fixed refund figure and no single average. The size of your tax refund from Denmark depends on how much you earned, how long you worked, how much tax you paid, which deductions you can claim and whether your full personal allowance was applied.
Two people with the same salary can receive very different refunds once their deductions are taken into account. The final amount is always decided by SKAT when it reassesses your year, but a quick online estimate helps set expectations before you file. You can estimate your Denmark tax refund on our Denmark page to get a rough idea of what you could be owed.
If you have left Denmark but still have unused holiday pay, you may be able to claim it. In many cases, this can be done for up to the last three years.
Information about unused holiday pay is usually sent by FerieKonto around March. The letter includes the amount of accumulated funds, number of holiday days and the employers who made the contributions.
RTTAX can help you arrange the transfer of these payments, even if you cannot access the system yourself or do not have all documents.
It is worth knowing that holiday pay is separate from your income tax refund: you can claim both, and they are handled and paid out independently. Your income tax refund comes from SKAT after your assessment is reviewed, while holiday pay is released from FerieKonto. A single application to RT TAX can pursue both Denmark tax refund and holiday pay claims at the same time.
You are not limited to the most recent year. You can usually reopen and correct your Danish tax assessment (a process called genoptagelse, or reopening) for the previous three income years. The ordinary deadline is 1 May in the fourth year after the income year ends, so a year you never reviewed can often still be claimed. Unused holiday pay can likewise be claimed for up to 3 years.
Because the Årsopgørelse is issued each March with annual correction deadlines, it is easy to let an older year slip past the window, and once the deadline passes that refund is usually lost for good. This is where a Denmark tax refund can quietly disappear if no one is tracking the dates. RT TAX keeps an eye on these deadlines for you so you do not accidentally forfeit a year.
The timing depends on SKAT’s workload, the tax year involved, and whether a correction is needed. As a general guide, a straightforward refund based on your existing assessment is often paid to your NemKonto in spring, around April, while a claim that requires reopening or correcting a past year takes longer, typically several weeks to a few months.
Complete, accurate documents are the single biggest thing that speeds it up. If you have already left Denmark and no longer use a NemKonto, the refund can be arranged through another agreed payout route, which RT TAX helps set up.
If you are a working parent, you may also be entitled to child benefits. More information about eligibility and how to apply can be found here: child benefits in Denmark. Child benefits are a separate claim from your tax refund, and in some cases they can be claimed for previous years too.
Want to find out if you are entitled to a tax refund? Complete the registration form and register for a tax refund from Denmark, and our team will handle everything from document preparation to submission of your tax return. The assessment is free and there is no upfront fee, as our service fee is simply taken from your refund once the process is complete, so it costs you nothing to find out what you could be owed.
Note: This information is general in nature. In some cases, additional data or documents may be required. Clients are informed individually if this applies.
Yes. You can still claim after leaving Denmark, for the years you worked there. RT TAX manages the whole claim remotely, and if you no longer use a NemKonto, the refund can be paid through another agreed route. You can start online and claim a tax refund from Denmark from wherever you are now.
Usually the previous three years. Your tax assessment can be reopened up to 1 May in the fourth year after the income year, and unused holiday pay can also be claimed for up to three years. Older years are lost if they are not claimed in time.
NemKonto is the official bank account SKAT uses to pay out money, and it is the usual route for refunds. If you have left Denmark and no longer have an active NemKonto, the payment can be arranged another way, which RT TAX can help set up.
The Årsopgørelse is your annual tax assessment from SKAT, issued each March for the previous year. It shows whether you overpaid tax, and correcting it is how you file a tax return from Denmark to recover what you are owed.
Yes. Part-year and seasonal work often results in a refund, because your full personal allowance was spread across a short period of income. Short-term workers are among the most common refund cases.
If you worked in Norway and paid taxes, you may be entitled to a tax refund after the end of the tax year or when returning home. This guide explains deadlines, required documents and the key steps you should know. Who can claim a tax refund from Norway? You can claim a tax refund if you legally worked in Norway and paid income tax there. Norway has double taxation agreements with many countries, which means part of your paid tax may be refunded if you meet the legal requirements. Deadlines: how long can you claim a tax refund? In Norway, you can usually claim a tax refund for up to 4 previous tax years. Once the statutory deadline expires, it is normally no longer possible to recover overpaid tax. That is why it is recommended to apply as soon as possible. How much money can you get back? The refundable amount depends on your personal situation: income received, taxes paid, tax allowances, dependants, and the length of your employment. To get a quick estimate of your potential refund, use our tax refund calculator. Tax refund from Norway: 3 main steps 1) Collect required documents Prepare the following documents: D number or ID number (National Identity Number); Skattemelding (Tax return form); Skatteoppgjør (Tax assessment); Skattekvittering (Receipt for PAYE); Årsoppgave forms or your last payslips from all employers (if available); Copy of your passport or national ID card. 2) Prepare document copies Make clear copies of all documents. These must be attached to your application. Clear and complete copies help speed up the processing time. 3) Complete and submit your tax return You can submit your tax return yourself through the Norwegian Tax Administration website skatteetaten.no or use professional assistance. Filing on your own requires accurate data and all supporting documents. Using specialists can save time as they prepare and submit everything on your behalf. How long does it take to receive the refund? Processing times depend on the workload of the authorities and the quality of your submitted documents. Properly prepared applications are usually processed faster. If you have any questions, it is recommended to consult specialists. Common mistakes and how to avoid them Missing deadlines. Make sure your claim is still within the allowed time period. Missing documents. If you do not have the Årsoppgave form, provide payslips or other proof of income. Incorrect information. Errors in your tax return can delay processing, so always double-check your personal and financial details. Unused tax allowances. Check whether you are entitled to deductions such as work-related expenses or dependants. When should you use professional help? If you are missing documents, worked for several employers, or simply want to save time and avoid mistakes, it is worth using professional tax refund services. This reduces the risk of additional requests and speeds up the process. What should you do next? The next step is to complete the registration form. This allows you to start the tax refund process, and our team will take care of everything – from document submission to receiving your final payment. Learn more about tax refunds from Norway . You can find answers to frequently asked questions at the bottom of the same page – view the FAQ section .
Read More
Do you work or did you previously work in Germany and have children? You may be entitled to financial support called Kindergeld. This is one of the most important family benefits in Germany, designed to support families and help provide stable conditions for raising children. What is Kindergeld? Kindergeld is a child benefit paid to parents who work or have worked in Germany and are raising children who live in the European Union. The benefit can be paid until the child turns 25 years old if they are in full-time education and not employed. Who can receive Kindergeld? You can apply for child benefit if you are: Parents with children up to 25 years old who are in education; A single parent with whom the child lives (if parents are divorced, unmarried, or widowed); A legal guardian or the person with whom the child lives, if the child does not live with their biological parents. You can also apply if your child lives in another EU country, as long as at least one parent works or has worked in Germany. How much is the Kindergeld payment? Since 2023, the system has been simplified and the benefit amount is the same for each child, regardless of the number of children. Current amount: €250 per month for each child. If you already receive child benefit in another EU country, the German Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) will usually pay only the difference between the German benefit and the amount paid in your country. Important rules The benefit is paid until the child reaches the age of 25 if they are studying and not working. You can usually apply retroactively for the current and previous 6 months. If you stop working in Germany, you must inform the Familienkasse immediately. If you no longer work in Germany, you are generally no longer entitled to the benefit. If you continue receiving payments after you are no longer eligible, you may be required to repay any overpaid amounts. What should you do next? The next step is to complete the registration form . This allows you to start the Kindergeld claim process, and our team will handle everything – from document preparation to receiving your payment. Find more information here .
Read More
At the beginning of the year, many people start filing their income tax returns. But what should you do if you worked abroad for all or part of the year? It’s important to know that tax declaration and tax refund for work abroad usually involve two directions: declaring income in the country where you worked and declaring your worldwide income in your home country. This helps avoid penalties and gives you the opportunity to recover any overpaid income tax. Why do you need to declare taxes in two countries? Most countries have signed double taxation treaties with each other. These agreements ensure that the same income is not taxed twice and allow you to claim a tax refund if you have overpaid. When you work abroad, it is usually recommended to declare your income in the country where you worked according to local rules and deadlines, and also declare your worldwide income in your country of residence. Where and when should you submit tax returns? In the foreign country: File your tax return according to the rules and deadlines of that country’s tax authority. In your home country: Declare your worldwide income in the national tax system. In some cases, you may need certificates confirming foreign income and taxes paid. Some tax authorities may also require a certificate of income earned in your home country. The requirements vary by country, so it is recommended to check the rules in advance. How many years back can you claim a tax refund? The tax refund period depends on the laws of each country and is usually 4–5 previous tax years. Once the limitation period expires, it is normally no longer possible to recover overpaid taxes, so it is best not to delay. What documents should you have? In most cases, you will need employer-issued documents showing your income and taxes paid, such as annual summaries and payslips. Some countries use specific official forms. If you are missing certain documents, you can often obtain information by contacting your employer or the foreign tax authority. Will you have tax obligations in your home country after getting a refund? If income tax was paid correctly in the foreign country and a double taxation treaty applies, there are usually no additional tax obligations in your home country. However, each case is individual, so it is recommended to consult specialists if you are unsure. What is important to remember? If you worked abroad, claiming a tax refund can be a great opportunity to get back the money you are entitled to. The most important things are to respect deadlines, collect the necessary documents and carefully submit accurate information in your tax returns. Since rules differ between countries, it is always best to check the requirements in advance or seek help from tax refund specialists. How to get started? The next step is to complete the registration form . This will allow you to start the tax refund for work abroad process, and our team will take care of everything – from preparing documents to submitting your tax returns.
Read More
info@rttax.com 
+370-37-755211 
en
lt 
ru 
bg 
lv 
ro 
ua 
pl 
de 
tr 
md 
es 
zh 
hu 
th 