Yes — Fully Claimable

Can I Claim Pension Contributions (Tjänstepension) as a Business Expense in Sweden?

Employer pension contributions (tjänstepension) are deductible up to 35% of the employee's gross salary. This includes the AB owner-director's own pension contributions. Individual pension savings (IPS) allow a personal deduction of up to SEK 35,809 per year. Contributions above the 35% cap are not deductible.

Typical claim: If an AB owner pays themselves SEK 600,000/year gross salary, they can contribute up to SEK 210,000 (35% of SEK 600,000) to their tjänstepension annually — all tax-deductible for the AB, not subject to arbetsgivaravgifter. This is one of the most tax-efficient forms of compensation available.

What Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) says

Inkomstskattelagen 28 kap (tjänstepensioner); 59 kap 5 § (IPS limit SEK 35,809 for 2025)

When you can claim

  • Employer (AB) contributions to an approved Swedish collective pension scheme (collectivavtal) up to 35% of gross salary
  • AB contributions to a private occupational pension plan (tjänstepension) for the director/owner — same 35% cap
  • Contributions to IPS (individuellt pensionssparande) — deductible for the individual, up to SEK 35,809/year (2025)
  • Contributions to a traditional life insurance pension product (kapitalförsäkring used as pension vehicle)

When you cannot claim

  • Pension contributions exceeding 35% of gross salary in a single year
  • Pension contributions where the employee is already above normal retirement age and the contributions seem designed purely for tax avoidance
  • Contributions to unrecognised or foreign pension schemes not approved by Swedish pension law

Good to know

Pro tip: For AB owners, tjänstepension contributions offer a triple tax advantage: deductible for the AB (reducing bolagsskatt), not subject to arbetsgivaravgifter (saving 31.42%), and tax-deferred in the pension fund until drawdown. In practice, contributing to a private IPS plan personally (SEK 35,809 cap) is useful for sole traders or as a top-up to the employer plan.

Important: The 35% cap applies to contributions made in the current tax year. Unused capacity from prior years cannot be carried forward for pension contributions (unlike the K10 gränsbelopp). The IPS deduction at SEK 35,809 is per individual annually, not per company.

Source: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)

Related expenses

Staff Costs (Personalkostnader)
Company Vehicle (Tjänstebil)

Stop guessing what you can claim in Sweden

AccountsOS automatically categorises expenses with Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)-aware rules and tells you exactly what is claimable.

Try Free
All Sweden expense guides