Unemployment benefits are not intended to supplement unprofitable businesses or support the development of new ones. Therefore, you cannot start your own business while receiving unemployment benefits.
Are you a business owner?
When you become unemployed, we begin by determining whether you are considered a business owner. To be classified as a business owner, you must meet all three of the following criteria:
You work in your own business
You have significant influence over the business
You have managed the business professionally and independently
If we do not consider you a business owner, we will inform you.
Full-time business
If you have run your own business full-time, you must either put the business on hold or completely separate from it to be considered unemployed. You put the business on hold with the unemployment fund (not with Skatteverket or Bolagsverket).
Multiple owners: All co-owners must pause the business in order to apply for benefits. If not all do so, you must separate from the business—this means you no longer work in, own, or have significant influence over it. Then you are considered unemployed
Sole owner: You may keep the business as long as no work is performed in it at all—that is, it is placed on hold
If you have previously placed your business on hold and received benefits, you must have actively run the business for at least three years before you can place it on hold again. If not, you must fully separate from the business.
Is the business still profitable?
If you choose to close a profitable business, you may be suspended from benefits for 45 benefit days, as this is considered a voluntary resignation. A business is considered profitable if your income exceeds four price base amounts per year. Contact us if, for example, you have lost your only client and your income has completely stopped.
How we calculate benefits for business owners
All business owners, regardless of business form, must fill in the form Questions for business owners in Mina sidor. There are three ways to calculate how much benefit you can receive after running your own business. We choose the option that is most favorable for you when making a decision. The maximum benefit is 1,200 SEK per day before tax, five days per week, for 300 days—equivalent to about 26,400 SEK/month before tax.
Three calculation methods
You verify your working hours when applying for benefits. The income we use depends on what is most advantageous for you, and we may need information from Skatteverket and sometimes from an employer. If you wish, we can request income data from Skatteverket.
We always choose the most favorable option available:
Most recent taxed income: Based on the most recent taxed income from the business, as shown in your latest final tax decision
Average of several years: Based on the average of taxed business income from the two years prior to the most recent taxed year
Income from previous employment: If the business was your main occupation for less than 24 months directly after a job where the work requirement was met, the income is based on your previous employment (the 24-month rule). In this case, we need an employer certificate, which you request in Mina sidor
How to get your income data from Skatteverket
When you apply for benefits, you will receive a power of attorney in your To-do list. Print and send it to Skatteverket, and they will send your income data to us
You can also download and submit an extract from the tax register from Skatteverket yourself. Be sure to select Full when asked about the scope of the information. You’ll find this in Mina sidor at Skatteverket
Sideline business
If you have run your business alongside full-time employment, you may in some cases continue with it during unemployment. This shows that the business does not limit your ability to work full-time and therefore does not affect your unemployment benefits. You must apply to have your sideline business approved when you apply for benefits. It cannot be done retroactively.
You must have operated your business alongside full-time employment for at least 12 months before becoming unemployed
The business must not prevent you from seeking and accepting full-time work
If you earn more than 3,060 SEK per week (before tax) from your business, the excess amount will be deducted from your unemployment benefits
If you begin working more hours in your business, it will no longer be considered a sideline business, and you will no longer be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Apply in Mina sidor when applying for benefits
Fill in the Questions for business owners form in Mina sidor to apply for your business to be approved as a sideline business when applying for benefits. When reporting how many hours you’ve worked in the business, include all hours—such as purchasing, bookkeeping, phone calls, website work, etc.
Approved sideline business does not affect benefits
We will upload a decision in Mina sidor stating whether your business is approved as a sideline business. The decision will specify how many hours per week you are allowed to work in the sideline business. Work performed in a sideline business does not count toward the work requirement and cannot be used as the basis for a new benefit period.
If you increase your hours, you are considered a business owner and lose your right to benefits
If you increase your working hours in the sideline business, it will no longer be considered a sideline business. You will then be classified as a business owner and lose your right to unemployment benefits.
If your average income from the approved sideline business increases without working more hours and exceeds 3,060 SEK per week before tax, the excess amount will reduce your daily benefit.
Contact us immediately if your sideline business changes. You can call us or send a message via Mina sidor.
Limited business
To have your business classified as a limited business, the following conditions must be met:
You have worked in the business no more than 10 hours per week
You have had a part-time job of at least 17 hours per week
You have done this for at least six months before becoming unemployed
Income from the business must not exceed three times the maximum daily benefit (currently 3,600 SEK) per week
If the business expands, the right to benefits ends
You may continue working in the limited business to the same extent as before unemployment without affecting your benefits. If you begin working more hours, you are considered a business owner and lose your right to benefits.
Report your hours
Report the level of activity or number of hours per week as stated in your decision. You may combine unemployment benefits and work for a maximum of 60 weeks.
Family-owned business
You may be considered a business owner if you have a close family relationship with the owner. This applies if you personally perform work in the business and have significant influence over it.
Contact us so we can review your situation together and determine which documents you need to submit.
Inactive company
If you own a business where no one is currently working, it may be considered inactive. If you are the sole owner, this is usually not a problem—you simply confirm to us that the business is inactive.
If you have previously received benefits while the business was inactive, you must have actively run the business for at least three years before it can be placed on hold again. These are new rules for those applying for benefits from 2024 onward.
Fill in the Inactive company form in Mina sidor.
If the business cannot be placed on hold, you must fully separate from it to be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Invoicing without a company
If you use an umbrella company such as Frilans Finans or Cool Company, we will determine whether the work should be classified as self-employment (business owner) or as employment by the client.
Contact us so we can review your situation and determine which documents you need to submit to ensure your work is properly assessed when we make a decision.