What are the warning signs of an unscrupulous removal company?
- The company only wants to agree things verbally and does not write a contract.
- The company wants an advance payment or cash, or payment to something other than a company account.
- The company has no transport permit for goods transport.
- The company is not approved for F-skatt.
- The quote does not show the labour cost separately from the van, fuel and materials.
- The price is only approximate, with no cap.
- The phone number goes to an anonymous prepaid SIM instead of a subscriber.
- The company does not follow Bohag 2010 and cannot say which terms apply.
The points about verbal agreements, advance payment, cash and prepaid SIM cards come from the Police advice against rogue tradespeople, which applies to services in the home in general. The rest is explained in the sections below.
Source: Polisen: Oseriösa hantverkare, Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på, Skatteverket: Så fungerar rutavdraget.
Does a removal company need a transport permit?
Yes. Commercial transport, meaning carrying goods for payment, may only be run by someone with a commercial transport licence. The requirement also covers those driving light lorries or cars up to 3.5 tonnes, so a firm with a small van also needs a licence. Konsumentverket writes that the firm's insurance may not apply, for example in a traffic accident, if the licence is missing.
You check the permit in Transportstyrelsen's e-service Kontrollera trafiktillstånd. You enter the company's organisation number, and the details are sent to your email.
Source: Yrkestrafiklag (2012:210) (riksdagen.se), Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency): Om yrkestrafiktillstånd, Transportstyrelsen: Kontrollera trafiktillstånd för buss, gods, taxi, Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på. 1 kap. 3 § and 2 kap. 1 § yrkestrafiklagen.
How do you check that the company has F-skatt?
In Skatteverket's e-service Hämta företagsinformation you can see whether the company is approved for F-skatt and registered for VAT and as an employer. F-skatt decides two things. Without it, the company gets no payout for the RUT tax deduction, so you do not get the deduction on the invoice. And without F-skatt, you as the buyer may be required to make a tax deduction. For a private individual, this does not apply if the payment to the same recipient during the year is expected to be less than 10,000 kronor.
How the deduction is calculated and what it covers is explained on the page about RUT tax deduction for moving.
Source: Skatteverket: Hämta företagsinformation, Skatteverket: Så fungerar rutavdraget, Skatteförfarandelag (2011:1244), 10 kap. (riksdagen.se). 10 kap. 4 och 11 §§ skatteförfarandelagen.
What should the quote and contract include?
The Consumer Agency's advice is to obtain quotes from several companies and to have a written agreement regarding scope, price, payment and time. A verbal yes is also binding, but it is more difficult to prove what you agreed on. It is best to agree on a fixed price. An approximate price may be exceeded by the company by a maximum of 15 percent, unless you have agreed otherwise. What the price usually depends on can be found on the page what does a removal company cost. The labour cost must be stated separately, as only this gives RUT tax deduction. Removal lorry, fuel, moving boxes and storage rental do not.
The template below asks for all of this at once. Fill it in and send the same request to two or three companies.
Email: Quote request to a removal company To: The removal company
The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.
- The RUT tax deduction is given only for the work, not for the moving van, fuel or boxes (Skatteverket).
- The contractor must be approved for F-skatt for you to get the RUT tax deduction (67 kap. 16 § inkomstskattelagen).
- Check the organisation number in Transportstyrelsen's e-service Kontrollera trafiktillstånd.
Source: Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på, Konsumentverket: Problem med flyttfirma, Skatteverket: Lista över rutarbeten.
How should you pay the removal company?
After the move and to a company account. Konsumentverket writes that it is an advantage to pay once the move is done, because you can then withhold payment if something goes wrong. For the RUT tax deduction the payment must also be electronic, and the firm can only claim payment from Skatteverket once the work has been done and paid for. The deduction should already be made on the invoice, so you pay at least half of the labour cost.
Source: Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på, Skatteverket: Så fungerar rutavdraget, Polisen: Oseriösa hantverkare.
What is Bohag 2010?
Bohag 2010 is an agreement between Konsumentverket and the removals industry on what applies when you hire a removal company, including the firm's liability, cancellation, price and payment. Firms that are members of Sveriges Åkeriföretag or Sveriges Möbeltransportörers Förbund must follow it, and for other firms it counts as good practice. Under Bohag 2010 you can cancel free of charge up to 15 days before the move. Ask the firm whether it follows Bohag 2010 before you book.
Source: Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på, Konsumentverket: Problem med flyttfirma.
What do you do if it still goes wrong?
Photograph or film your belongings before they are collected, so you have something to show. Complain in writing, for example by email, so you can prove that and when you complained. If you cannot agree, you can report the dispute to ARN (the National Board for Consumer Disputes) within one year of first complaining. The claim must be at least 750 kronor, the application costs 150 kronor and processing normally takes about six months. How to make a complaint step by step, with templates, is in the guide on damage and complaints.
If you would rather not search yourself, we have checked the transport permit and F-skatt for the removal companies in Gothenburg, and step 2, book a removal company shows when in the move you should book.
Source: Konsumentverket: Anlita flyttfirma, tips vad du ska tänka på, Konsumentverket: Problem med flyttfirma, ARN: Tvisteområden, ARN: Konsument, anmälan.
Common questions
How do I check whether a removal company has F-skatt?
In Skatteverket's e-service Hämta företagsinformation, no login needed. There you can see whether the company is approved for F-skatt and registered for VAT and as an employer.
How much can the removal company go over an approximate price?
At most 15 per cent, or whatever you have agreed, according to Konsumentverket. A fixed price is what you should pay.
Can I cancel a booked removal company?
Yes. You have no right of withdrawal, but under Bohag 2010 you can cancel free of charge up to 15 days before the move.
Where do I report a dispute with a removal company?
To Allmänna reklamationsnämnden (the National Board for Consumer Disputes), ARN, within one year of first complaining to the company. The claim must be at least 750 kronor and the application costs 150 kronor.
The law behind it
2 kap. 1 § yrkestrafiklag (2012:210), checked 3 October 2026
Professional traffic may be carried out only by someone who has a professional traffic permit or a Community licence.
1 kap. 3 § yrkestrafiklag (2012:210), checked 5 October 2026
The law also applies to companies that commercially carry goods with light lorries or cars up to 3.5 tonnes.
10 kap. 4 § skatteförfarandelag (2011:1244), checked 5 October 2026
A private individual does not need to make a tax deduction if the payment to the recipient during the calendar year is expected to be less than 10,000 kronor.
Bohag 2010, General moving terms for consumers (industry agreement), checked 3 October 2026
An agreement between the removal industry and Konsumentverket. Members of Sveriges Åkeriföretag and Sveriges Möbeltransportörers Förbund must follow it, and Konsumentverket regards it as good practice for the whole industry. Among other things it gives the right to cancel free of charge up to 15 days before the move.