Determining the central government budget is one of the Riksdag's most important tasks. The Riksdag's work with the central government budget begins in April when the Government submits the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill containing the proposed guidelines for Sweden's economic policy. In September, the Government presents the Budget Bill, which contains proposals for central government revenue and expenditure for the coming budget year.
The Government submitted the Budget Bill for 2020 to the Riksdag on Wednesday 18 September 2019. In the spring, the Government presents its Spring Fiscal Policy Bill.
Photo: Anders Löwdin
The Ministry of Finance is the part of the Government Offices that helps the Government to prepare its proposals for the central government budget. The Minister for Finance is head of the Ministry of Finance.
Members of the Riksdag can always submit counter-proposals to the Government's budget proposals. Before the Chamber of the Riksdag takes a decision on the central government budget, the parliamentary committees prepare the decision by first considering all the proposals. Of the parliamentary committees, the Committee on Finance has a special role in the Riksdag's consideration of the central government budget.
April: the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill
The Government submits the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill to the Riksdag by no later than 15 April. The Spring Fiscal Policy Bill contains guidelines for the economic policy that forms the basis of the forthcoming budget proposal in the autumn. The Riksdag adopts a decision on the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill in June.
September: the Budget Bill
Except in an election year, the Government submits the Budget Bill to the Riksdag by 20 September. In an election year, the Budget Bill is submitted later. The Budget Bill contains proposals for central government revenue and expenditure for the coming budget year.
At the end of November, a decision is first taken on the total limit for central government expenditure and how much money will go to different areas of society - the expenditure areas. The Riksdag also determines an estimate for central government revenue. In mid-December the Riksdag decides how the funds are to be distributed within each expenditure area of the central government budget.
April and September the following year: revised budgets
Sometimes things do not turn out as the Government and Riksdag had intended. A public authority may need more money than planned. The Government can then propose a revision of the central government budget, even though it has already started to apply. On, at most, two occasions, the Government can submit a Government bill containing revisions to the central government budget for the current budget year. This is known as a revised budget, and the Government submits such proposals, in connection with its Spring Fiscal Policy Bill in April and the Budget Bill in September.
A Government bill with proposals for revisions to the central government budget can only be submitted on other occasions if the Government considers that there are special grounds for doing so.