Transport Agency Fees

In a functioning transport system, someone must grant permits to those who use it. There must also be someone who, in various ways, ensures that the system works — that is, performs what we call supervision. Additionally, all information related to these activities must be registered.

One way to finance permit examinations, supervisory activities, and register maintenance is to use tax revenue. In that case, everyone in society shares the cost. Another way is for those who want a permit to drive a car, operate a shipping company, or run an airport to pay not only for obtaining the permit but also for the supervision ensuring that they follow the rules.

In Sweden, Parliament and Government have decided that anyone who wants to use the transport system in any way should also pay for it. They have also decided that the Swedish Transport Agency should issue permits and conduct supervision. The fees the Agency charges should therefore cover the costs required to maintain a safe, accessible, and environmentally friendly transport system today and in the future.

Our fees can be charged in different ways — for example as annual fees, application fees, continuous fees, or other fixed charges.

Principles for Setting Fees

The Swedish Transport Agency may decide on fees, but the money goes into the state treasury. The Government and Parliament then decide how the funds are allocated within society. We therefore do not control the revenue; instead, we receive an annual government appropriation, including for those parts of our operations financed by fees.

This means that the entire Transport Agency is financed through an annual appropriation. For permit examinations, supervision, and register maintenance, we are required to collect revenue corresponding to our costs. If we raise fees, it does not mean that we receive more money, and there is no such motive behind our fee adjustments. On the contrary, we are constantly required to increase efficiency because our appropriation does not grow at the same rate as price changes.

We set our fees based on a number of principles. Every year we review these principles and confirm them with our board.

Fee Model

How much citizens or businesses pay in fees depends on how much the operations cost. These costs depend on the time spent on a particular activity and on other associated expenses. All employees record their working hours. Some of that time is directly linked to a case or specific activity, while other time cannot be tied directly to a specific area but is still necessary for fulfilling our duties as an authority.

The reported time — both time directly attributable to an activity and time that has an indirect impact — determines how salary costs are distributed and also forms the basis for allocating shared costs.

The Government Ensures We Use Resources Properly

Resources in the public sector must be used efficiently and directed where they are most needed. Each year, we submit an annual report to the Government, containing information such as costs, revenue, and results. Based on this, the Government follows up and evaluates our operations. We are also audited by the Swedish National Audit Office, which ensures that we comply with existing regulations.

Every year, the Swedish Agency for Public Management (Statskontoret) reviews our fee changes and checks that our fee-setting complies with overall regulatory requirements.

When setting fees, we calculate what the fee needs to be in order to cover our costs. We then consider what impact that fee will have on companies and industries. If the fee is considered too high, we may be given the opportunity to cover parts of the fee with public funds.