Denmark’s tax minister is urging around 800,000 commuters to update their preliminary tax assessment so they can receive the temporarily increased commuting deduction now, instead of waiting for next year’s tax return.
Tax Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt of the Moderates issued the call on Saturday, DR reported. About 800,000 commuters have still not changed their forskudsopgørelse, the preliminary tax assessment, to reflect the higher deduction. According to the minister, that means several hundred thousand people have money waiting at Skat.
Engel-Schmidt said it is unfortunate that so many motorists have money owed to them while fuel prices are high. Per DR, he encouraged people who find it hard to make ends meet to open Skat’s website and request the extra money. He added that he would very much like to pay the money out sooner.
For what the minister called an ordinary commuter who has not yet made the change, there is between 2,500 and 3,000 kroner to claim. Anyone who updates their assessment will start to see the effect on their payslip from the first of the following month. Around 200,000 people have already made the change and now receive the deduction month by month.
A two billion kroner response to high fuel prices
The government decided during the summer to temporarily raise the befordringsfradrag, also called the kørselsfradrag, for 2026. DR reports that the total pool for the increase is two billion kroner, and that payouts have been possible since August. Commuters who do nothing will instead receive the money as a tax refund with next year’s årsopgørelse, the annual tax statement.
Engel-Schmidt described the measure as a very effective response to high fuel prices and said he did not think the money should have gone to lowering duties on petrol and diesel instead. The government chose to compensate those who drive the longest distances, he said. According to figures from the motorists’ organization FDM cited by DR, the diesel price reached its highest level ever in mid September 2026.
FDM has also urged frequent commuters to update their deduction, and noted that the higher rate is not limited to drivers of petrol and diesel cars. The organization pointed out that it also benefits people who drive an electric car or who travel by public transport. According to B.T., the increased deduction is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026.
What the commuting deduction means for internationals who commute
The forskudsopgørelse is the preliminary tax assessment that determines how much tax is withheld from your salary each month. It is updated at skat.dk, and changes to deductions such as the befordringsfradrag feed directly into your monthly withholding. The befordringsfradrag is a deduction for travel between home and workplace, and FDM notes it applies regardless of whether the journey is made by car, electric car or public transport.
For foreign residents who commute, the practical difference is timing rather than entitlement. Those who leave their assessment unchanged will still receive the money, but only as a refund when the annual årsopgørelse arrives next year, according to DR. Those who update it now see the effect in their income tax withholding from the first of the following month, which the minister puts at 2,500 to 3,000 kroner for an ordinary commuter.
