Capital gains tax in Denmark 2026: shares, ETFs, crypto and your home

Last reviewed: November 2026 · Reviewed by Stéphane Gombauld, tax expert, technologist and digital nomad

You hold shares, ETFs, crypto or a flat, and you want to know what Denmark takes when you sell. The answer depends on which income category the gain falls into, not on how long you held it. After reading, you will know the 2026 rates by asset, the loss rules, the exit tax and the legal ways to pay less.

Denmark capital gains tax in 2026: the key figures

What changed for 2026

• Wider 27% band. The share income threshold rose from DKK 67,500 in 2025 to DKK 79,400, per Skattestyrelsen's share tax page. For couples it went from DKK 135,000 to DKK 158,800.
• Higher share savings account cap. The deposit limit is DKK 174,200 for 2026, up from DKK 166,200.
• Top-top tax on very large gains. From 2026, personal income above DKK 2,592,700 pays an extra 5% state tax, per the Ministry of Taxation's 2026 rate table. Crypto gains above that level cost 57.07%, plus church tax for members.
• No new crypto law yet. The Tax Law Council published reform proposals in October 2024. Skattestyrelsen notes the Folketing has not debated them, so the current rules apply in 2026.

Is this guide for you?

Read on if you…

• are Danish tax resident and selling shares, ETFs, crypto or property in 2026;
• are moving to or from Denmark with unrealised gains and want to time sales;
• want to compare a share savings account with a normal custody account.

Probably not your case if you…

• invest only inside a Danish pension scheme, which has its own yield tax;
• hold assets through a company; see corporate income taxes in Denmark.

How does Denmark tax capital gains?

Here's the key idea. Each gain lands in one of three income categories, and the category sets the rate.

• Share income (aktieindkomst): gains and dividends on shares and equity funds. 27% on the first DKK 79,400, 42% above.
• Capital income (kapitalindkomst): interest, bond gains, most property gains and bond-based funds. Net capital income is taxed at up to 42% in 2026, the capital income tax ceiling in Skattestyrelsen's rates table.
• Personal income (personlig indkomst): salary and, for now, crypto gains. Taxed at ordinary progressive rates, with a 2026 tax ceiling of 44.57% on municipal, bottom and middle tax, before top and top-top tax.

Holding period does not matter. A share sold after one week and one held for ten years fall in the same category.

Shares: the average cost method

You are taxed when you sell. The gain is the sale price minus the average purchase price of all your shares in that company (gennemsnitsmetoden), including shares from employee schemes.

Losses on listed shares offset dividends and gains on other listed shares, and gains on equity funds taxed on market value. If you are married and living together, a surplus loss goes to your spouse's share income. What remains carries forward to later years.

Here's the catch. If your custody account is abroad, Skattestyrelsen does not receive your purchase data. You must report the purchase yourself by 1 July of the year after you bought. Otherwise, the loss can be refused.

Losses on unlisted shares are more generous. They offset other share income first, and any remainder is converted into a tax value that reduces your other taxes.

Funds and ETFs: realisation or yearly taxation

Danish investment associations (investeringsforeninger) are taxed when you sell, using the average cost method. Investment companies (investeringsselskaber), which covers many foreign ETFs, are taxed on the yearly change in value (lagerprincippet), sold or not.

According to Skattestyrelsen's fund guide, equity-based investment companies go in share income. Bond-based ones go in capital income. Skattestyrelsen publishes the list of equity-based investment companies, so check it before buying a foreign ETF.

The share savings account

An aktiesparekonto taxes the yearly return at 17%, also on unrealised gains. Skattestyrelsen's account page caps deposits at DKK 174,200 for 2026. Only people fully taxable in Denmark can open one. A negative year creates a tax credit carried forward, but it is lost if you close the account.

How is crypto taxed in Denmark?

In 2026 crypto bought as speculation is taxed under the general income tax rules. Skattestyrelsen's crypto checklist says gains are personal income, taxed at up to 53%, without the 8% labour market contribution. Above DKK 2,592,700 of personal income, the top-top tax lifts that to 57.07%. Losses are deductible at a value of 26%.

That asymmetry is the biggest crypto trap. Gains and losses are calculated per transaction, using FIFO across all your wallets and exchanges. A loss on one coin generally cannot offset a gain on another. Gains go in box 20 and losses in box 58, by 1 May of the following year.

More detail sits in our guide to cryptocurrency taxes in Denmark.

Is selling your home tax-free in Denmark?

Usually, yes. Skattestyrelsen's home sale page sets three conditions for a detached or two-family house, an owner-occupied flat or a house on leased land:

1. You or your spouse lived in it at some point during your ownership.
2. The total plot is under 1,400 m².
3. Larger plots still qualify if they cannot be split for separate building, or a split would cut the value by more than 20%.

Other property gains are capital income. The gain is the adjusted sale price minus the adjusted purchase price, declared in box 39. Property losses only offset gains on other property, otherwise they carry forward.

What happens to your gains when you move in or out?

Moving in

Once fully taxable, you must declare your foreign securities. Shares you already own count as bought at their market value on the day you move in, under § 37 of the Share Gains Act. Only later growth is taxed. For crypto, Skattestyrelsen lets you ask for a binding ruling on your existing holdings. Residence tests are in tax residency in Denmark.

Moving out: the exit tax on shares

Leaving is the sensitive part. Under the Share Gains Act, Denmark taxes your shares and fund units as if sold on departure. Per Skattestyrelsen's exit tax page, two conditions apply. Your holdings are worth DKK 100,000 or more, and you were liable to Danish tax on share gains for at least 7 years in total within the last 10 years, as § 38(3) of the Share Gains Act puts it.

You can defer the tax (henstand) interest-free. Report your holdings on form 04.065 or in E-tax by 1 July of the year after you left. Moving outside the Nordic region and the EU requires adequate security. Crypto is also deemed sold on departure, with no minimum years test; deferred tax is paid at 1/7 a year, with interest. Step-by-step planning sits in the practical guide to ceasing your tax residency in Denmark.

Non-residents

After you leave, Denmark withholds 27% on Danish share dividends, and you can often reclaim part under a treaty. Danish property stays in the Danish tax net through property value tax and tax on rental profit. Treaty allocation decides who taxes other gains.

How can you legally pay less?

1. Fill the 27% band every year. It resets each calendar year, so spreading sales can keep gains under DKK 79,400 per person.
2. Use the share savings account. 17% beats 27% or 42%, up to the deposit cap.
3. Report foreign purchases on time. That keeps your listed-share losses deductible.
4. Check the equity-fund list before buying ETFs. Share income treatment avoids capital income rates.
5. Plan the exit early. The 7-in-10-year count and the deferral change what leaving costs. Losses also interact with personal tax deductions and benefits of Denmark.

Common mistakes (and what they cost)

• Not reporting a foreign-broker purchase by 1 July → the loss on those listed shares can be refused, while gains stay fully taxed.
• Buying an ETF that is not on the equity-based list → yearly capital income taxation at up to 42%, even with no sale.
• Treating crypto like shares → gains taxed at up to 53%, losses worth only 26%, and no netting between coins.
• Leaving without reporting holdings for deferral → the deemed gain on departure becomes payable instead of deferred.
• Closing a share savings account with a tax credit → the negative tax is lost and cannot move to a new account.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital gains tax rate in Denmark in 2026?

There is no single rate. Share gains are share income at 27% up to DKK 79,400 and 42% above, or DKK 158,800 for married couples. Bond and property gains are capital income at up to 42%. Crypto gains are personal income at up to 53%. A share savings account pays 17%.

Is there a holding period that lowers the tax in Denmark?

No. Denmark does not reward long holding. A share sold after a month and one sold after twenty years are taxed the same way. The main timing lever is the 27% band, which resets each calendar year, plus the moving-in and exit rules.

How are losses on shares treated in Denmark?

Listed-share losses offset gains and dividends on other listed shares, then a cohabiting spouse's share income, then carry forward. Unlisted-share losses become a tax value that reduces other taxes. If your broker is abroad, report each purchase by 1 July of the following year, or the loss can be refused.

What is the Danish exit tax on shares?

Denmark treats your shares and fund units as sold on departure if they are worth DKK 100,000 or more. You must also have been liable to Danish tax on share gains for at least 7 years in total within the last 10 years. You can defer the tax interest-free. Security is needed only when moving outside the Nordic region and the EU.

Is a share savings account worth it in Denmark?

For most residents investing modest amounts, yes. The aktiesparekonto taxes the yearly return at 17% instead of 27% or 42%. The trade-offs: a DKK 174,200 deposit cap in 2026, yearly tax on unrealised gains, and loss of any negative tax on closing.

Is crypto taxed like shares in Denmark?

No. Crypto bought for speculation is personal income, taxed at up to 53% (57.07% plus church tax above DKK 2,592,700), while losses are deductible at only 26%. Each transaction is calculated separately with FIFO. A reform proposed by the Tax Law Council in 2024 has not been adopted, so these rules apply in 2026.

Related guides

• Cryptocurrency taxes in Denmark: speculation rules and reporting
• Ending your Danish tax residency without surprises
• Tax residency in Denmark: the home and six-month tests
• Personal tax deductions and benefits in Denmark
• Capital gains tax in Austria
• Capital gains taxation in Malta
• All country tax guides

Sources

• Tax on shares – Skattestyrelsen
• Aktiesparekonto – Skattestyrelsen
• Skat af investeringsbeviser – Skattestyrelsen
• Calculate and declare gains and losses on cryptoassets – Skattestyrelsen
• Salg af ejerbolig – Skattestyrelsen
• Tax on shares if you leave Denmark – Skattestyrelsen
• Du bor i udlandet og har indkomst fra Danmark – Skattestyrelsen
• Aktieavancebeskatningsloven (Share Gains Act), LBK 849 of 2026 – Retsinformation

This guide is general information, not personalised tax advice. See how we research and review.