EU/UK VAT · SE · EU member

Sweden VAT

Sweden VAT rates, number format and cross-border validation, from the European Commission VAT rates database and the EU VIES service.

By ·EU Commission VAT source →

Standard rate
25%
Reduced rate
12% / 6%
Number format
SE + 12 digits
Validation
VIES

How Sweden's 25% rate compares

Sweden's 25% standard VAT rate is well above the median of 21%, among the higher rates we track. It also applies a reduced rate of 12% on food, restaurants, hotels, and a second reduced rate of 6% on books, newspapers, transport, sports events. The most recently revised of these non-standard tiers is the reduced rate, in effect since 2012-01-01. The current rate has been in effect since 1990-01-01, unchanged for several years.

By standard-rate proximity, Sweden matches Croatia's standard rate almost exactly. VAT numbers in this country can be validated via the VIES (VAT Information Exchange System) cross-border validation service.

Derived from PlainVAT per-country rate table sourced from the European Commission's official VAT rates database. See methodology for the EU-wide rate range, refresh cadence, and source-linking policy.

All VAT rates

Standard rate

25%

Most goods and services

In effect since 1990-01-01

Reduced rate

12%

Food, restaurants, hotels

In effect since 2012-01-01

Reduced rate

6%

Books, newspapers, transport, sports events

In effect since 1996-01-01

VAT number format

Prefix
SE
Format
SE + 12 digits
Example
SE123456789012
Validation service
VIES (European Commission)

Validate a Sweden VAT number

Tax authority

Skatteverket

Official guidance: https://www.skatteverket.se/

Source: European Commission Taxation and Customs Union EU VAT Rate Registry · 2026

Countries with similar standard rates

Croatia 25%
Denmark 25%
Finland 25.5%
Greece 24%

Related references

Disclaimer: This information is for general reference only and should not be considered legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm with your accountant or the relevant tax authority for your transaction.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.

PlainVAT renders country-rate figures from the European Commission's Taxation and Customs Union VAT-rate registry; explanatory guidance links to its relevant authority sources. Country rates are computed directly from the European Commission's VAT-rate registry, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.