Ministry of Finance submitted a bill proposing updates to the tonnage tax system to boost shipping competitiveness, revising qualifying activities and vessel criteria.
Sweden’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) submitted a bill to the Council on Legislation on 20 November 2025 proposing updates to the country’s tonnage tax system to enhance the competitiveness of its shipping sector.
The proposals expand the definition of “qualified shipping activity” to include specialised operations such as towage, salvage, and icebreaking. They also lower the minimum tonnage required for these vessels and extend the possibility of leasing qualified vessels without a crew under tonnage-taxed operations.
Certain conditions for vessels to qualify are also revised. The requirement for international shipping is replaced with a criterion that the vessel operates in traffic exposed to international competition, and a lower gross tonnage threshold is proposed for specialised shipping.
It also establishes new rules for the reversal of over-depreciation funds and includes a provision disqualifying companies facing economic difficulties from participating in the voluntary tax system.
The proposed changes are scheduled to take effect on 20 July 2026 and will first apply to tax years starting after 31 December 2026.
Earlier, Sweden’s 2026 Budget Bill proposed improvements to the tonnage tax system, aligning it with EU state aid rules to enhance the competitiveness of the shipping sector.
