Wellness allowance
You may have 5 000 SEK a year for training that you never claimed.
Sweden has a tax-free wellness allowance called friskvårdsbidrag. Most employers offer it, a lot of people never use it, and if you moved here for work nobody may have explained it to you. Here is the version in plain English.
- 5 000 kr is the tax-free ceiling, per person per year.
- 1 kr over makes the whole amount taxable — not just the excess.
- 31 December is the deadline. Nothing carries over to next year.
Common questions, with Skatteverket quoted where it matters.
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What is friskvårdsbidrag?
A tax-free wellness allowance your employer can give you for exercise and health. You pay for the activity yourself and claim it back against a receipt — or buy through the benefit portal your employer uses.
It is voluntary for the employer. But if it is offered, it has to be offered on equal terms to everyone.
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Do I have one?
Quite possibly, and a lot of people never find out. Around 85% of employees in Sweden are offered it. If you moved here for work, it may be in your contract or your benefits portal without ever having been explained.
Ask HR or whoever handles payroll: "Do we have friskvårdsbidrag, and how much?" It is an ordinary question.
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How much is it?
Up to 5 000 SEK per person per year is tax-free. Your employer decides the actual amount — the Swedish average is around 2 600 SEK.
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What happens if I go over 5 000 SEK?
This is the rule that catches people out. Go one krona over and the entire amount becomes taxable — not just the excess.
So it is worth tracking the total of everything you claim across the year, not just the most recent purchase.
Betalar arbetsgivaren ut mer än 5 000 kronor får du betala skatt på hela friskvårdsbidraget.
If the employer pays out more than 5 000 SEK, you pay tax on the whole wellness allowance. Skatteverket · retrieved 2026-08-11 -
Do training apps count?
They can. Skatteverket puts it like this:
Note the word "can". Your employer decides what the allowance covers, and the service has to be ordinary wellness rather than something specialist. If you are unsure, ask before you buy — that is a normal question and it saves a rejected receipt.
Om du använder webbtjänster och appar som ger tillgång till träningsprogram, rådgivning och andra liknande tjänster kan det vara en skattefri förmån.
If you use web services and apps that give access to training programmes, advice and other similar services, it can be a tax-free benefit. Skatteverket · retrieved 2026-08-11 -
When does it expire?
On 31 December. It does not roll over — on 1 January a new amount starts and whatever you did not use is simply gone.
It is one reason about 41% of employees don't use theirs fully. The money does not run out; the time does.
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Why do receipts get rejected?
Usually one of three reasons: the purchase was equipment rather than an activity (running shoes do not qualify, a gym card does), it was a gift card rather than a service, or the receipt did not show clearly what was bought.
A receipt should carry your name, the date, what the service is, the amount, and the seller’s company name or organisation number.
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What do I write to HR?
Feel free to copy this: "Hi! I would like to use my friskvårdsbidrag for the training app Stadika (Stadika AB, org. no. 559600-4407). It is an app with training programmes and guidance. I get a receipt with my name, the amount, the VAT and the company's organisation number. Do you approve it?"
Send it before you pay, so you know what applies at your employer.
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Can I use it for Stadika?
Yes, if your employer accepts it. The first 14 days are free; after that you pay in the app — 990 kr a year, 129 kr a month or 299 kr every 3 months — and the receipt arrives when you pay, with what your employer needs to pay you back.
Your employer decides what the allowance covers. If you are unsure, ask before you buy — it is a normal question.
Using your allowance on Stadika
Create an account and pick yearly (990 kr), monthly (129 kr) or 3 months (299 kr). The first 14 days are free. You add your card when you start, and the receipt arrives with the first payment — with your name, the amount and our organisation number.
