On the first of May this spring, the fuel tax, including the VAT surcharge, was reduced by SEK 1.81 per litre.
But only three-quarters of the reduction has benefited diesel-using motorists, and even less, 62 percent, for those who filled up with petrol.
According to Svante Mandell, research director of environmental economics at KI, the price was lowered on the first of May by exactly the same amount as the tax, SEK 1:81.
However, the fuel companies had taken the opportunity to raise the price before, more than justified.
Compared to Denmark
KI has used a statistical method to study the pricing of the Swedish fuel chains from the time the tax cut was announced, in March (even before) and forward towards the tax cut date and also after that. Denmark has served as a control group. The Danes have not changed any rules or taxes during the period, according to KI. Thus, Swedish fuel prices should follow the Danish ones because it is an internationally priced market.
But that has not happened, the Swedish companies have raised prices more than the Danes, according to KI.
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The fuel tax, including VAT, was reduced by SEK 1:81 in May 2022.
However, the net effect was only SEK 1.3–1.4 per liter for petrol and around SEK 1.6 per liter for diesel, as the price had been unjustifiably increased before the tax cut. If the effect that then took place during the month of May, after the tax cut, is taken into account, the impact is even lower.
As of May 31, the calculations indicate that 62 percent of the tax cut was passed on to the price of gasoline. For diesel, the corresponding estimate is that the penetration amounts to 75 percent.
Source: Konkunkturinstitutet