Complaint against the Swedish Tax Agency regarding the fact that in Blekinge it is not possible to pay an application fee for an ID card in cash

Summary of the decision: The Swedish Tax Agency accepts cash for the payment of an application fee for an ID card at the agency’s service centres in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

According to the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, the principle in Section 12 of Chapter 4 of the Riksbank Act (SFS 2022:1568) applies to the payment of this fee, meaning that the Swedish Tax Agency has an obligation to accept cash as payment for such a fee. As it is only possible to pay in cash in Sweden’s three metropolitan areas, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman notes that, in practice, it is not possible for the majority of people to pay a fee for an ID card in cash. According to the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, it is therefore questionable whether the level of service offered by the Swedish Tax Agency can be considered acceptable. The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman is however of the opinion that it is very difficult for an agency to determine the level of service required to live up to the Riksbank’s requirements, in light of which there is no reason to direct criticism at the Swedish Tax Agency.

Two recent commissions of inquiry have made recommendations concerning the obligation of, among others, government agencies to accept cash for the payment of statutory fees. In light of this, and as the case highlights the possible need to increase service levels regarding the possibility to pay such fees in cash, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman passes on a copy of the decision to the Government for information purposes.