Denmark Expat Tax Reporting Guide (E-tax Step by Step 2026)

Getting Started — What You Need

Before you can report your foreign assets and income, you need: a CPR number (Danish civil registration number) obtained through the municipality (Folkeregisteret) when you register as a resident; a MitID — Denmark's digital authentication system, which you obtain through MitID.dk using your CPR number and a Danish passport or residence card; and a NemKonto — a Danish bank account for receiving salary and tax refunds. You can register a non-Danish bank account as your NemKonto through nemkonto.dk if you do not yet have a Danish account. Once you have MitID and CPR, log on to TastSelv Borger at tastselv.skat.dk to access your tax information. SKAT recommends that you call (+45) 72 22 28 92 one week after registering with the Folkeregisteret, so they can generate your tax card (skattekort) and open the necessary boxes on your tax assessment notice for reporting foreign matters. If you call before registering or before your CPR is active, SKAT cannot help you yet.

Understanding the tax calendar: Your first year in Denmark involves three key tax forms. The preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse) — a budget for the current income year that determines your monthly tax payments (tax card). File this when you arrive to set the correct withholding. The tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse) — the actual calculation for the prior income year, published each year in mid-March. You must review and correct this by 1 July. The securities reporting deadline — you must report your non-Danish securities portfolio by 1 July of the year after you became a Danish tax resident. If you arrived in 2025, the deadline is 1 July 2026. Missing this deadline may cause you to lose the right to deduct future losses on those securities.

Reporting Non-Danish Bank Accounts

When you have an account with a non-Danish bank, you must report your interest income and the account balance as of 31 December each year. You report this on your tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse). The first time you do this, you may not have the relevant boxes available — contact SKAT via phone or chat to request access. Here is the step-by-step process in E-tax: Log on to tastselv.skat.dk with MitID. Click "Ret årsopgørelsen/oplysningsskemaet" (Change your tax assessment notice/tax return). If you do not see the foreign income sections, scroll to the bottom and answer "Ja" (Yes) to the question "Do you have non-Danish income, such as salary for work abroad, pension, property, bank accounts, debt, etc.?" Click "Næste" (Next) and then "Fortsæt" (Continue). Under the section "Udenlandsindkomst" (Non-Danish income), click the calculator icon next to "Udenlandske renter og aktiver" (Non-Danish interest and assets). Select the country from the dropdown and click "Næste".

Enter the amounts: Enter the interest income for the year in box 431 (Udenlandske renteindtægter — Non-Danish interest income). Enter the deposit balance in non-Danish banks etc. as of 31 December in box 492 (Indestående i udenlandske banker pr. 31/12 — Balance in non-Danish banks as of 31/12). Click "Gem" (Save) and then "Tilbage" (Back) to transfer the amounts to your tax assessment notice. Complete by clicking "Næste" until you see "Godkend" (Accept), then click "Godkend" to confirm. For the preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse), report expected interest income in field 26 (Udenlandsk nettokapitalindkomst — Non-Danish net capital income). You do not need to report the 31 December balance in the preliminary assessment — it is only needed on the årsopgørelse. If a double taxation agreement gives the source country the right to tax the interest, use field 298 and field 588 for tax paid abroad. If no tax was paid in the other country, enter DKK 0 in field 588.

Reporting Non-Danish Securities (Deadline 1 July)

Reporting non-Danish securities (shares, bonds, ETFs, investment certificates) is one of the most important obligations for expats. You must report your portfolio within a specific deadline to preserve your right to deduct losses in the future. The deadline is 1 July of the year after you became subject to full tax liability. For example, if you became a Danish resident in March 2025, your deadline is 1 July 2026. To report, log on to E-tax and select "Kontakt" (Contact) → "Skriv til os" (Write to us) → "Indkomst og fradrag" (Income and deductions) → "Indkomst og fradrag 2025 (Forskudsopgørelse)" → "Aktier, værdipapirer, bitcoins og kryptovaluta" (Shares, securities, bitcoins and cryptocurrency). Provide the following information for each security: share name, ISIN code, quantity held, and the market price on the date you arrived in Denmark. You can submit this as a list or through the contact form. Alternatively, use the calculator on your tax assessment notice under "Udenlandske aktier og investeringsbeviser" (Non-Danish shares and investment certificates).

Annual reporting of securities gains/losses: Each year starting mid-March, you must report any gain or loss on your non-Danish securities on your tax assessment notice. Follow these steps: Log on, click "Ret årsopgørelsen/oplysningsskemaet." If you lack the relevant boxes, answer "Ja" to the non-Danish income question at the bottom. Under "Udenlandsindkomst," click the calculator next to "Udenlandske aktier og investeringsbeviser." Select country and click "Næste." The box numbers depend on the type of security: box 454 for gain/loss on shares admitted for trading on a regulated market; box 451 for gain/loss on shares traded on a non-regulated market; box 452 for dividends from shares on a regulated market; box 450 for dividends from shares on a non-regulated market; box 422 for gain/loss on share-based investment companies; box 375 for investment funds on SKAT's approved list; box 496 for foreign dividend tax paid (max permitted by treaty); box 490 for the market value of the portfolio. Enter the correct amounts, click "Gem" and "Overfør til årsopgørelsen" (Transfer to tax assessment notice). Complete by clicking "Godkend."

Reporting Non-Danish Pension Schemes

If you have a pension scheme outside Denmark — including private pensions, life insurance, and health/accident insurance with insurance companies — you must submit form 49.020 — Declaration L (Erklæring L) to SKAT. This form declares your non-Danish pension arrangements. The deadline for submitting form 49.020 is no later than 1 year after you became subject to full tax liability in Denmark, and in any case before the expiry of the declaration deadline for the income year when the tax liability started. Specifically: if you became a Danish tax resident between January and June, the deadline is 1 year from your residency date. If you became resident between July and December, the deadline is 1 July of the following year. Download form 49.020 from skat.d's forms section (English version available). Complete it with details of each non-Danish pension scheme: provider name, policy number, type of scheme (pension, life insurance, health/accident), current value, and contribution history.

Submitting the form: Log on to E-tax and select "Kontakt" → "Skriv til os" → "Indsend/indberet til os (fx blanket/bilag)" (Submit/report to us, e.g., form/attachment) → "Udland" (Non-Danish) → "Pensionsforsikring i udlandet (blanket 49.020)" (Non-Danish pension insurance). Attach the completed form and any supporting documents. SKAT will review the submission and contact you with further instructions if needed. After the initial declaration, you do not need to resubmit form 49.020 annually — but you must report any changes to your pension arrangements. Additionally, each year on your tax assessment notice, you may need to report pension contributions (deductible within limits) and pension withdrawals (taxable). For defined contribution schemes, SKAT generally allows deductions for contributions up to the Danish limits (ratepension: 63,100 DKK in 2026; aldopsparing: 9,100 DKK). For defined benefit schemes, the deduction calculation is more complex. If you are uncertain about the treatment, call SKAT at (+45) 72 22 28 92 or consult a cross-border tax specialist.

Reporting Non-Danish Property

If you own property outside Denmark, you must report its current value and any property value tax paid abroad each year on your tax assessment notice. For rental income from non-Danish property, report the income in box 425 (Udenlandske lejeindtægter — Non-Danish rental income). You can choose between a standard deduction or an accounting deduction — the same rules that apply to Danish rental properties. If you have already paid property tax outside Denmark, enter that amount in box 495 (Udenlandsk skat — Non-Danish tax paid) to claim double taxation relief. The first time you report non-Danish property, you may need to contact SKAT to open the relevant boxes. To report on your tax assessment notice: Log on, click "Ret årsopgørelsen/oplysningsskemaet." If lacking boxes, answer "Ja" to the non-Danish income question. Under "Udenlandsindkomst," click the calculator next to "Udenlandsk ejendom" (Non-Danish property). Enter the address, select the country, click "Næste." Follow the guide to enter purchase date, property value, rental income (box 425), and property tax paid abroad (box 495). Click "Gem," then "Overfør til årsopgørelsen," and complete by clicking "Godkend."

Undeveloped land and business property: If you own undeveloped land outside Denmark, report the current value each year. Anything considered "real property" must be reported — building sites, lots, farmland, woodland, etc. If you rent out property for 12+ months (commercial rental), the income is treated as personal income (B-income), and you must keep accounts and file a business tax return (not just the standard årsopgørelse). Report commercial rental profit through the "Udenlandsk virksomhed" (Non-Danish business) section on your tax assessment notice in box 460 (Profit/loss from non-Danish business). For the forskudsopgørelse, once you have reported the property on the årsopgørelse the first year, the information will automatically transfer to your preliminary income assessment for future years. You only need to update it if the rental income or property value changes significantly. For detailed rules on property taxation, see our property tax guide →.

Reporting Non-Danish Salary and Other Income

If you work for a non-Danish employer while living in Denmark, you must report that salary on both your preliminary income assessment and your tax assessment notice. On the forskudsopgørelse: Log on, select "Forskudsopgørelsen." Under "Andre felter," select "Udland." Go to "Personlig indkomst, Udenlandsk" → select the country in field 108. Enter your expected salary in the appropriate field. Click "Beregn" then "Godkend." On the årsopgørelse: Log on, click "Ret årsopgørelsen/oplysningsskemaet." If lacking boxes, answer "Ja" to the non-Danish income question. Click the calculator next to the relevant section (salary, pension, other income). Select country, enter the income in the relevant box, report any foreign tax paid (for tax credit relief), click "Gem," then "Overfør til årsopgørelsen." Complete by clicking "Godkend." The double taxation agreement between Denmark and your employer's country determines which country has primary taxing rights. Most of Denmark's ~80 tax treaties follow the tax credit method. If you pay tax in the source country, you claim a credit on your Danish tax to avoid double taxation.

Exchange rates: All foreign currency amounts must be converted to Danish kroner (DKK) for reporting. You may use the exchange rate on the actual date the payment was made. Alternatively, you can use SKAT's official exchange rate list or the Danish Nationalbank's average exchange rate for the year. SKAT publishes the average rates on its website under "Officielle valutakurser." For the annual årsopgørelse, using the average annual rate is generally acceptable for recurring income (salary, pension) but the actual transaction date rate should be used for one-off items (capital gains, property sales). Be consistent in your methodology year to year. If you are audited, SKAT will expect you to justify your exchange rate choices.

FAQs

What happens if I miss the 1 July deadline for reporting non-Danish securities?

You may lose your right to deduct future losses on those securities. SKAT's guidance states that failing to report by the deadline means you risk losing the deduction for potential losses. To be safe, always report within the deadline. If you have already missed it, contact SKAT immediately and explain the situation — they may still accept a late filing, but the loss deduction may be at risk.

Do I need to report foreign assets below 100,000 DKK?

Yes. There is no minimum threshold for reporting. All non-Danish bank accounts, securities, and property must be reported regardless of value. However, the exit tax on shares when leaving Denmark only applies if the market value is 100,000 DKK or more. For annual reporting, there is no lower limit.

Can I report everything through E-tax without calling SKAT?

For the initial setup, you will likely need to call SKAT to have the relevant boxes opened on your tax assessment notice. Once the boxes are open, you can report ongoing amounts through E-tax without calling. SKAT's phone number for cross-border matters is (+45) 72 22 28 92, open Monday 9-17, Tuesday-Thursday 9-16, Friday 9-14.

What if I have multiple non-Danish bank accounts or securities accounts?

Report each account or security separately within the E-tax system. You can add multiple entries under the "Udenlandske renter og aktiver" section for bank accounts, and under "Udenlandske aktier og investeringsbeviser" for securities. The system allows you to add as many entries as needed. Keep your own consolidated records for your reference — SKAT may request them during an audit.

How do I correct a mistake from a previous year's reporting?

Log on to E-tax and select "Ret årsopgørelsen" for the relevant year (previous years are available for up to 3 years back, or 5 years in certain cases). Make the correction and re-submit. If the correction results in additional tax owed, interest may be charged from the original due date. If it results in a refund, SKAT will transfer it to your NemKonto. For errors older than the correction window, contact SKAT by phone or in writing to request an exception. Voluntary corrections before SKAT initiates an audit can reduce or eliminate penalties under the voluntary disclosure rules.