SWEDEN Law and Practice Contributed by: Peter Dyer, Alexandra Thörnroos and Jonna Sjöström, Wåhlin Advokater AB
4. Taxation of Mining and Exploration 4.1 Mining and Exploration Duties, Royalties and Taxes Anyone operating an active mine must pay a state mineral fee of 0.2% of the average value of the min - erals mined. The revenue is then split between the landowner(s) and the State, with landowners receiving 0.15% and the State receiving 0.05%. Exploration permits are subject to an application fee of SEK500 for every 2,000 hectares, payable to the Mining Inspectorate. If permission is granted, another SEK20 for each hectare has to be paid for the first three years. An application for a mining permit carries a fee of SEK80,000 for each area the application con - cerns. There is an additional fee for the designation of land proceedings. There is no distinction between national and foreign investors in relation to these fees. 4.2 Tax Incentives for Mining Investors and Projects Sweden does not offer any tax incentives for mining investors. All exploration and mining companies are subject to the standard corporate income tax, cur - rently 20.6%. 4.3 Transfer Tax and Capital Gains on the Sale of Mining Projects There is no transfer tax related to the sale of min - ing projects. The disposition of a project may result in a capital gain and, if so, will be subject to tax on that gain. For a Swedish limited liability company, all income – whether capital gain or otherwise – is taxed as business income at a flat rate corporate income tax (20.6%). If the transfer of a project happens entirely through corporate structures outside of Sweden, no capital gains tax will be payable in Sweden. Stamp duty is always payable by the buyer of real estate, regardless of the buyer’s tax domicile. For legal persons, the duty is 4.25%.
5. Mining Investment and Finance 5.1 Attracting Investment for Mining In July 2025, Sweden was named the 6th most attrac - tive mining jurisdiction in the world by to the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2024. This is a significant comeback for Sweden after having previously slipped down the list for a number of years, attributed largely to the lengthy permitting process. It is reasonable to conclude that the improvements in the permitting process that have already been intro - duced, as well as the expectation of further improve - ments, have helped Sweden to regain its position among the world’s top mining nations. Sweden has vast deposits of minerals and metals, and a track record of mineral discoveries in numerous commodities. The country has political stability with a strong rule of law, a high concentration of profes - sionals to service the mining industry, low corporate tax and well-functioning capital and private equity markets. These are factors that contribute to attract - ing considerable investment in the Swedish mining industry. 5.2 Foreign Investment Restrictions and Approvals in the Exploration and Mining Sectors A new Foreign Direct Investment Screening Act (2023:560) (FDI Act) came into force on 1 December 2023 and applies to certain designated sensitive sec - tors of Swedish industry, one of which is the explora - tion and mining of strategic minerals. The purpose of the FDI Act is to prevent foreign direct investments that may harm national security, public order or public safety. The FDI Act will apply to investments that result in the investor acquiring (directly or indirectly): • voting rights equal to or exceeding 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 65% or 90% in a target company per - forming activities eligible for protection; • influence over the management of such target company through other means; or • assets or business eligible for protection. No turnover or deal value thresholds apply. Specific thresholds apply to investments in other legal enti - ties (eg, limited partnerships) and to greenfield invest -
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