Living in Denmark means official letters — and half the stress is not knowing when they come or what the Danish names mean. Some letters follow your case. But the big ones that reach almost everyone — the tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse), the preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse), the pension statement — follow a yearly rhythm. Here is that calendar, month by month, with an English guide for each letter.
The year in one table
| When | The letter | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-March | Tax assessment notice / årsopgørelse (Skat) — in 2026 ready 23 March | Check the figures; correct them in TastSelv |
| Normally 1 May | Correction deadline for the årsopgørelse (2026: postponed to 20 May) | Fix deductions and income before the deadline |
| From mid-May | Pension statement (Udbetaling Danmark) | Check the income basis. Guide: UDK letters explained |
| 1 July | Deadline: outstanding tax without surcharge (2026: 5.7% after) | Pay via TastSelv if you owe |
| August | School-start letters — e.g. the school transport card (skolekort) | Check zones and price before paying |
| August-September | Pension statements for households with self-employment income (~270,000 pensioners) | Same checks as the May letter — just later |
| From September | Early-retirement (tidlig pension) statement | Check it against your årsopgørelse |
| November | Preliminary income assessment / forskudsopgørelse (Skat) — in TastSelv from mid-November | Correct expected income and deductions for the new year |
Spring: the tax authority settles last year
Spring belongs to the Danish Tax Agency. In mid-March, the tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse) is ready in TastSelv — in 2026 it was ready on 23 March, cf. skat.dk (English). The correction deadline is normally 1 May; in 2026 it was postponed to 20 May. And if you paid too little tax, outstanding tax could in 2026 be paid until 1 July without a surcharge (5.7% after). Dates shift slightly from year to year — the March → May → July pattern does not.
From mid-May, Udbetaling Danmark follows with the pension statement, settling last year's pension against your actual income. It is based on the årsopgørelse — which is why it comes after the tax wave. What to check in it is covered in the guide to UDK letters.
Autumn: late pension statements, school start and next year's tax
Around August-September, the last ~270,000 old-age, disability and senior pensioners get their pension statement — households where you or your spouse/partner run a business, because the statement can only be calculated once the self-employed tax assessment is in place. The early-retirement (tidlig pension) statement goes out from September. Both are covered in the UDK guide, including the 21-day objection window.
August is also school-start month: the school transport card and the other practical school letters arrive around then.
And in November the year closes with the preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse): the tax authority's estimate of your tax for the coming year, in TastSelv from mid-November, cf. skat.dk (English). This is where you correct deductions and expected income so your withholding is right from January.
The letters with no calendar: they follow your case
Most letters from the kommune and the agencies do not follow a yearly wheel — they arrive when something happens in your case:
- Decisions and consultation letters from your kommune — see understanding kommune letters.
- Payment reminders, debt collection and payment orders — they follow an unpaid bill, not a month. The escalation is explained in the debt collection guide and the payment order guide.
- Letters from SIRI about your residence case — see the SIRI letter guide.
- Sick leave letters — triggered by a sick report, with their own tight deadlines; see the sygedagpenge letters guide.
- Repayment of the daycare subsidy (økonomisk friplads) — once a year, when the kommune has compared your expected and actual income; see the friplads repayment letter guide.
- Property assessment letters (ejendomsvurdering) — the deklaration, the assessment and the appeal-window letters arrive in waves as the assessments are sent out; find your letter in the property assessment letter guide.
- Probate court letters (skifteretten) — they follow a death, not a month: the contact-person letter arrives by Digital Post within about a month. What the meeting is and what to prepare is in the probate court letter guide.
The calendar rule: The dates here are typical windows — they move a little from year to year, and your situation can differ. What never moves: the deadline is stated in your own letter, and that is the one that counts. If a letter is unexpected, read it right away instead of waiting for "the right month" — and if the Danish is heavy, get it explained first.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Danish tax assessment notice (årsopgørelse) arrive?
The årsopgørelse is ready in TastSelv in mid-March every year — in 2026 it was ready on 23 March. The deadline for corrections is normally 1 May (in 2026 it was postponed to 20 May), and outstanding tax could in 2026 be paid without a surcharge until 1 July. Always check the current dates on skat.dk.
When does the preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse) arrive?
The forskudsopgørelse arrives every year in November — you can see it in TastSelv from mid-November. It is the tax authority's estimate of your tax for the coming year, and it is where you correct deductions and expected income so your monthly withholding is right from January.
Why do some pensioners only get their pension statement in August-September?
Udbetaling Danmark sends most pension statements from mid-May. But if you or your spouse/partner run a business, the statement can only be calculated once the tax assessment for the self-employed is in place — so around 270,000 pensioners receive theirs in August or September instead.
Can I rely on the dates in this calendar?
Treat them as typical windows — not guarantees. The authorities can move dates from year to year, and many letters (decisions, consultation letters, payment reminders) follow your specific case rather than the calendar. One rule always applies: the deadline stated in YOUR letter is the one that counts.