Changes and Summer Activities: What Updates and Summer Events Occur in Sweden During July?
Set to Shake Up Sweden: July's Game-Changing Laws
Steps ahead, Sweden! With July knocking at the door, here's a lowdown on the upcoming changes that are set to revamp the Scandinavian nation, told straight and simple.
First off, get ready to jet around at cheaper rates! Starting July 1st, the flight tax introduced in 2018 to curb carbon emissions, will be history. This move, backed by the current right-wing government and the Sweden Democrats, promises a significant saving. Expect to shell out 80 SEK less for domestic and European flights, and around 325 SEK less for flights outside Europe. But party animals, beware! Laughing gas sales will be banned too, from July 1st, in cases where there's a whiff of recreational use. The purchase limit will also be capped at 18 grams for everyone.
In a landmark move, the process of changing one's legal gender becomes easier from July 1st. A qualified medical professional can issue a document that, when processed by the National Board of Health and Welfare, will initiate the gender change. The Tax Agency handles the population register update and adjustments to personal numbers accordingly.
Speaking of money matters, small independent breweries rejoice! The tax on beer is being slashed from July 1st, with the reduction determined by the breweries' yearly production, up to a maximum of 50%. On the healthcare front, new high cost protection scheme for medicine comes into force on July 1st, with an increase in the maximum spent on prescriptions from 2,900 SEK to 3,800 SEK in a twelve-month period.
Other updates to note: if you've been eyeing a bank switch, it's now going to be cheaper, even if you've got a fixed-rate mortgage. From July 1st, you only pay for administrative costs instead of losses the bank may incur due to your change. Plus, quick loan companies can't lend money directly to consumers unless they secure a bank license.
The temporary extension for housing benefits expires on June 30th, and the tax reduction for solar panels dips from 20 to 15% from July 1st. Mark your calendars, because if you received your tax bill in early April, you've got till July 14th to settle it.
Grey-area insider tip: Ministers' salaries will swell from July 1st. With a 3.2% increase, the Prime Minister's monthly salary will rise by 6,000 SEK, and other ministers will pocket 5,000 SEK more.
Take a break; schools are on holiday throughout July! While you're at it, pencil in few fun events. Dansbandsveckan, a week-long festival of the beloved Dansband genre, offers dance classes, musical events, and more, from July 13th to 19th. For classic car enthusiasts, Rättvik hosts it's Classic Car Week from July 25th to 31st, filled with music, vintage fairs, and demos. Need to mix things up? Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival at the end of July or Stockholm Pride in early August could be your pick!
With almost everyone taking a three-week break in July, expect some silence at work. So, whether you're buckling down or taking time off, stay cool, stay informed, and embrace the changes coming your way!
- The upcoming changes in Sweden's policy-and-legislation landscape include a reduction in beer tax for small independent breweries, a new high cost protection scheme for medicine, and a simplified process for changing one's legal gender in personal-finance matters.
- In the realm of general-news and politics, ministers' salaries will increase by 3.2% from July 1st, while the ban on laughing gas sales for recreational use and the temporary extension for housing benefits will also take effect.
- In the lifestyle sector, Swedes can look forward to cheaper domestic and European flights from July 1st, as the flight tax is abolished, and can plan their holidays around the Dansbandsveckan festival from July 13th to 19th or the Classic Car Week in Rättvik from July 25th to 31st.
