Home → Forum → General Chat → Reducing your costs of living in DK
 The Worktrotter Forums
Forum Homepage
Latest Posts

Welcome Guest
To join in you log in or sign up to the right!		 Your avatar
 Subject: Reducing your costs of living in DK... 11/05/09, 20:01 
Dagmar
Administrator
Joined: 07/03/09, 18:16
Posts: 81
Location: 
 
Dear all,
Char McKay has collected a huge number of hints and tips for reducing your costs of living. I am very happy that Char is sharing this information with all of us. Thanks, Char!
If you have other hints, please share them as replies to this entry. We will regularly update the hints document.

Thanks, Dagmar
Last edited on: 11/05/09, 20:01 by Dagmar.
 Subject: Church Tax - Are you paying?... 06/05/09, 20:44 
kvotolato3
Newbie
Joined: 08/03/09, 20:43
Posts: 1
Location: 
Please read this article from the Copenhagen Post about the Church Tax (Kirkeskat). Apparently there are many foreigners who pay this tax without even realising it! - Kathleen V.

Link to article:
http://www.cphpost.dk/news/national/88-national/45572-foreigners-unaware-of-church-tax.html

Here is the article copied and pasted (just in case the link doesn't work)

Source: The Copenhagen Post Online

Foreigners unaware of church tax
Monday, 04 May 2009 13:47 KR News
The state church receives funding in the form of tax deducted from its members’ salaries, but many foreigners are unaware that they have been signed up as members or that it involves paying tax

Both the Atheist Society and an anti-church tax website have reported repeated requests from foreigners wanting to opt-out of paying an automatic tax to a church they are not members of.

Around 83 percent of Danes pay the church tax, which is on average 0.88 percent of their earnings, to pay for the upkeep of the Church of Denmark. It is expected that this will amount to almost 5.5 billion kroner this year, reports 24 Timer newspaper.

Danes that are baptised in the Church of Denmark, the national Lutheran church, must pay the tax as long as they are members, but foreigners who move to Denmark are not obliged to, unless they register as church members.
Mads Dørup, who runs the ingenkirkeskat.dk website (‘no church tax’), said that he receives at least five enquires every month from people wanting to opt-out of paying the tax.

‘It is mainly people who have moved here, for example, from Norway and Sweden. They are very surprised that they have been signed up as church members and it takes them by surprise that they suddenly have to pay a tax,’ said Dørup.

The Atheist Society also reported receiving a number of queries each month; mainly from people who did not realise they had been paying the tax for many years.

When a foreigner moves to Denmark and signs up for the civil registration ID number, they should be asked if they want to be a member of the church. If they answer yes, then they are signed up as a paying member of the church.

Jesper Vind of the Atheist Society believes that not enough is being done to make foreigners aware that they are being registered as paying church members.

If a currently registered church member wants to opt-out of membership, they must write to their local church office and request a resignation of membership form in addition to providing their birth certificate.

Once a person opts-out of the Church of Denmark, they can no longer have a minister of that church preside over religious events like a wedding or funeral.
 Subject: Re:Reducing your costs of living in DK... 07/05/09, 08:59 
GN Byg
Newbie
Joined: 17/03/09, 21:43
Posts: 3
Location: 
Thanks for the presentation yesterday Char.
Reducing cost does not necessarily mean living like a monk and skimping on everything.
It is about acting smarter!
Try shopping in high-end supermarkets on Saturdays 20 minutes before closure.
Fresh products (fish and meat) is put on sales as they want to get rid of it before the week-end!
 Subject: Re:Reducing your costs of living in DK... 13/05/09, 09:52 
judith
Newbie
Joined: 08/03/09, 15:25
Posts: 4
Location: 
Here is a link to the official SKAT tax info in English:
http://www.skm.dk/foreign/english/taxindenmark2008/

I have been unable to upload the tax calculator spreadsheet, but will forward it to Dagmar and ask her to do it. It is incredibly helpful

However, here is the link to the site where I found the spreadsheet: It also has a good overview of how taxes are calculated:
http://www.daytel.net/
Last edited on: 13/05/09, 09:52 by judith.
Page # 


Forum Rules and Disclaimer | Powered by ccBoard

Subscribe to our newsletter 

Share with your friends



Denmark seen with international eyes

Entertaining presentations about Denmark

The Worktrotter books

Business-Dances with Danes. Decoding Danish work cultureBusiness-Dances with Danes

For those working with Danes and those trying to find work in Denmark.
This book is also aimed at those Danes who want to become conciously aware of the Danish workplace culture.

Find out how to decode Danish work culture, avoid pitfalls and know how you can bring your messages across when working with Danes. 

The Worktrotter's Guide to Denmark

For current and future newcomers to Denmark.

A practical step-by-step guide about living and working in Denmark. Save time, nerves and money. Be smart and do things right - right from the start.


No shipping fees worldwide!

Follow on Google+

Our Partners

The Worktrotter web site was developed by
jfb Webdesign, who provide web design and developement services

Foreigners in Denmark is a social network for foreigners / expats living in Denmark, cooperating closely with Worktrotter

 Photojournalist and event photographer Matthew James Harrison