All those registered as residents in Sweden must pay the funeral fee. But the church tax is not mandatory and it is possible to opt out of paying this fee.
In order not to be subjected to the Swedish Church tax (kyrkoavgift), which is paid by its members through automatic income deduction, you have to officially quit the Swedish Church (Svenska kyrkan). This tax is based on the individual congregation, but it is reasonable to say that it is a small proportion of the taxable amount. If you don’t want anymore to pay any values towards the church, then you have the possibility to opt out. (Svenska kyrkan).
Formal request required
You are required to make a formal request to withdraw from the church in writing. A letter or e-mail is an acceptable means as long as it states the intention of quitting the church or an online form from the church’s website can also be used. It should be emphasized that this withdrawal has to be executed before the 1st day of November of the relevant year in order to dodge the church tax the next year. Thus, if you for example quit the church by November 1st, 2024, you will not be charged a church tax for the year 2025 [2].
When you request a withdrawal, the Skatteverket will be notified and your income will be exempted from church tax. However, it must be noted that resigning from the church may prevent one from using its services, such as implementing church weddings and funerals, which in the absence of a sitting church membership may require an extra cost (Skatteverket).
Good to know if you're considering leaving the Swedish Church
If you and your partner want to have a church wedding ceremony, one of you must be a member of the Swedish Church. The one who is not a member of the Church does not automatically have the right to a funeral service with a priest and musician in a church building. However, you have the right to burial since the funeral fee is mandatory for those registered in Sweden. [3]
To recapitulate, formally registering a resignation from the Swedish Church by November 1 will thus enable an individual to cease paying the church tax and in the long run cut costs which would otherwise be considerable. Such a resolution, however, should be taken in view of what services and community would be lost.
