Cleaning tax deduction in Denmark: how the servicefradrag works

Many people think regular cleaning is a luxury they cannot afford. But in Denmark there is a tax deduction that makes exactly this kind of help noticeably cheaper than the invoice first suggests. It is called the servicefradrag, and it is part of what is commonly known as the håndværker- og servicefradrag (the home-service and tradesperson deduction). If you pay for cleaning in your own home, part of the labour cost can be deducted from your tax. Here is a simple explanation of how it works in practice.

What the servicefradrag covers

The servicefradrag covers ordinary help in and around the home, and cleaning is one of the core services. In practice you can typically claim the deduction for:

• Ordinary cleaning of the home, meaning vacuuming, mopping, wiping surfaces and cleaning the kitchen and bathroom.
• Window cleaning inside and out.
• Dishwashing and tidying as part of the regular clean.

It is important to understand that the deduction applies to the labour, not to any materials. With cleaning, almost the entire amount is labour, so the deduction reaches nearly the whole cost, which is exactly why it makes the most sense for cleaning.

How much can you save?

As a rule of thumb, the deduction means you get roughly a quarter of the labour cost back through your tax. There is an annual cap per person, and both the cap and the deduction rate can change from year to year as the rules are adjusted by the politicians. That is why we deliberately do not quote a specific kroner figure here. Always check the current rates and the applicable cap on skat.dk so you are working with the right numbers for the current year.

How to claim it in practice

It is simpler than many people expect.

• You pay the invoice electronically, not in cash, because the payment must be documentable.
• We issue a receipt with the details SKAT needs: our CVR number, the amount, the date and the type of work performed.
• You enter the amount in the deduction field on your årsopgørelse (annual tax statement) in TastSelv. It is you, as the homeowner or tenant, who reports the deduction itself.

You do not need to send the receipt in, but keep it so you have the documentation if SKAT asks.

The important limitation

Here is a detail worth being completely clear about. The servicefradrag applies to cleaning in your own year-round home and in a holiday home you use yourself. It does not apply to cleaning a summer house you run as a rental, that is, changeover cleaning between paying guests. That kind of work is an operating cost in a rental business and follows entirely different rules. In short: if you live in the home yourself, you are likely eligible for the servicefradrag. If you rent it out as a business, you are not. If you are unsure about your own situation, a short conversation with SKAT or an accountant is worth the money.

Where it makes the most sense

For private households with regular cleaning, the deduction can be what makes the maths add up. We have regular private clients in Bork, Hemmet, Tarm, Skjern, Varde and Ringkøbing among others, who get help weekly or every two weeks, and for most of them the servicefradrag is a natural part of the budget. It is the difference between considering help and actually getting your weekend back.

If you want the full walkthrough of the rules and a worked example, we have gathered it on our page about the cleaning tax deduction, read more here.

Shall we take the cleaning?

We are a fixed 2-person team based in Bork, and we always issue a proper receipt so you can easily use the servicefradrag. Send us your address, square metres and preferred interval, and we will come back with a quote. This is general, helpful information and not formal tax advice, so always check the current rules on skat.dk.