Capital gains tax — what is the tax on the profit?
Selling a private home at a profit means 22 percent tax on the profit after deductions. Enter your figures to see the amount, plus what can be deferred.
Your sale
Simplified estimate, not tax advice.
New builds, extensions and rebuilds. Repairs count only from the last five years.
313 500 kr
22 % of a profit of 1 425 000 kr.
1 425 000 kr
4 561 500 kr
A deferral requires buying a new home you move into. The cap is 3 000 000 kr per person, which your profit fits within. The tax does not disappear; it is paid when the new home is sold. The rules for what a deferral costs per year have changed several times — check the current level with Skatteverket before deciding.
Indicative calculation. Tax is declared the year after the contract date.
How the profit is calculated
| Sale price | 5 000 000 kr |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | −3 200 000 kr |
| Improvement costs | −250 000 kr |
| Agent fee and selling costs | −125 000 kr |
| Taxable profit | 1 425 000 kr |
| Tax, 22 % | 313 500 kr |
Three commonly missed deductions
Rebuilds
Anything raising the standard versus when you bought is deductible without time limit. Glazed balcony, new bathroom, extended deck.
Selling costs
Agent fee, styling, photography, pre-sale inspection and energy certificate. Everything belonging to the deal.
Repairs, five years
Maintenance not raising the standard is deductible if done in the last five years and totalling at least 5,000 kr per year.
The 22 percent tax sounds simple, but the deductions decide the amount. A sale with two million in price gains can land anywhere from 350,000 to 440,000 kronor in tax depending on how well the improvements are documented. The receipt binder is worth real money.
One detail that surprises many: the contract date sets the tax year, not completion. Sign a contract in December and complete in March and the deal is declared the year after the contract.
To see the full picture, with fee, tax and repaid loan in one statement, there is the net proceeds calculator.
Frequently asked questions about capital gains tax
22 percent of the profit for private homes. Technically 22/30 of the profit is taxed under capital income, where the rate is 30 percent, giving an effective tax of 22 percent. Selling with 1 million in profit means 220,000 kronor in tax.
The purchase price, the agent fee and other selling costs, plus improvement spending. Improvements come in two kinds: new builds, extensions and rebuilds are fully deductible, while repairs and maintenance are deductible only if done in the last five years and totalling at least 5,000 kronor per year. Keep receipts — Skatteverket may ask for them.
It depends whether it raises the standard or replaces like with like. Swapping a worn kitchen for an equivalent one is repair, deductible only if done in the last five years. Raising the standard versus purchase makes it a rebuild. Then the difference is deductible without time limit.
A deferral means postponing payment of the capital gains tax when you sell and buy a new home you move into. The cap is 3 million kronor per person. The tax does not disappear — it stays and is paid when you sell the new home without requesting a new deferral. Check the current standard income figure with Skatteverket before counting on a deferral.
Yes. Selling a private home at a loss lets you deduct 50 percent of the loss under capital income, giving a tax reduction of up to 30 percent of the deducted amount. The calculator above shows zero tax on a loss, but you claim the deduction itself in the tax return.
The sale is declared the year after the purchase contract was signed, not the year after completion. So the contract date sets the tax year. The tax is then paid per the final tax assessment, but an extra advance payment is possible to avoid penalty interest.