You can easily set up a §53A Net Pension for an employee either during onboarding or later during their employment.
What is the difference between regular pension and Net Pension (§53A)?
For regular pension schemes, both employee and employer contributions are typically tax-deductible at the time of payment. However, the pension is taxed when it is paid out during retirement.
For Net Pension under §53A of the Danish Pension Tax Act, the opposite applies: Contributions are not tax-deductible—they are taxed immediately—but the payouts are tax-free upon retirement.
Only specific situations allow for the establishment of a Net Pension under §53A. The law outlines nine specific scenarios where this is possible. If you’re unsure whether you or an employee qualifies, we recommend contacting the pension provider or a pension advisor for guidance.
If you need to add normal pension, take a look at this guide.
Click here to access our FAQ.
Guide:
1. Enable Net Pension under Advanced Settings by following this link. Turn the switch green and click Save Changes.
2. Go to the Employees tab and find the relevant employee in the list.
2. Scroll down to the Pension section and click the edit icon.
3. Select Employee will receive pension, then fill out the following fields:
Company: Choose the pension provider your company has an agreement with. If it's not listed, try entering the PBS number in the dropdown menu. If you still can't find it, follow this link.
Number: Depending on the provider, you may need to enter either a CPR number or an account number. The CPR number is filled in automatically if required by the selected provider.
Paid by: Choose whether the pension is employee-paid, employer-paid, or both. To add both, click Add pension row to create an additional line.
Contribution: Enter a percentage, or switch to DKK in the dropdown menu to input a fixed amount.
Click Save changes to apply the setup.
FAQ
Can I decide the pension rate and distribution myself?
Can I decide the pension rate and distribution myself?
In general, yes—you can decide both the contribution rate and how it’s split between employee and employer.
However, if your workplace is covered by a collective agreement, you must follow its rules. These agreements may specify minimum contribution rates and how they should be divided. So always check if a collective agreement applies.
If there’s no collective agreement, you're free to decide how much is paid into the pension and how it’s split. Keep in mind, though, that many pension providers require the employee to contribute a minimum share—usually to ensure the pension scheme is viable for them in the long run.
What if I forgot to set up a pension in time?
What if I forgot to set up a pension in time?
Unfortunately, if you forgot to set up pension contributions for one or more employees on time, you can’t backdate them. Instead, you’ll need to correct it in the current payroll period—typically by temporarily increasing the contribution rate.
For example, you could double the pension contribution this month to make up for last month’s missed payment. After correcting the error, reset the rate to its usual level for the next payroll run.
Important:
If the missed pension contribution relates to the previous year or earlier, you must not simply add it to a payroll run in the current year. Pension payments are tied to the tax year they relate to.
In such cases, you must:
Create an extra payroll run for the relevant month in the previous year (e.g., December), and
Add the missing pension contribution there.
This ensures correct tax reporting and submission to eIndkomst.
Guide:
Go to the Employee menu
Select the relevant employee
Click the Employment submenu
Scroll to the Pension box and click the pencil icon
Enter a new pension rate that covers both the current and missed month
Once the payroll run is complete, repeat the steps and reset the rate to normal
Need a visual guide? Watch this video (DANISH ONLY):
I can’t find my pension provider – what do I do?
I can’t find my pension provider – what do I do?
If your pension provider isn't listed in Salary, it's often because you're searching under the wrong name. Many providers have rebranded after mergers or use different names for administration.
The safest way to find your provider is to use its PBS number—a unique ID that determines where the payments should go.
Here’s how:
Contact your pension provider and ask for their PBS number
Enter the PBS number in the provider field in Salary
If you still can’t find the provider, contact our support team—we’ll help you quickly.
You can also view the full list of providers and their PBS numbers here:
Note: Providers may change names during mergers, and it can take time before these changes appear in the system. If the name you have doesn’t match what you see in Salary or the list, reach out to us—we’ll make sure it gets updated.
Can holiday pay be included in pension calculations?
Can holiday pay be included in pension calculations?
Yes, it’s possible to include holiday pay in pension contributions.
To enable this, go to the Pension field under the specific employee. Enter the applicable collective agreement code. Once entered, a button will appear allowing you to activate pension contributions on holiday pay.
How is Net Pension shown on the payslip?
How is Net Pension shown on the payslip?
Once Net Pension is added, it will appear clearly on the payslip. Here's how it typically looks:
Employee contributions are paid net, meaning after tax. The amount is deducted directly from the employee’s net salary.
Employer contributions are added to the gross salary (pre-tax). Tax is then calculated on the full amount, and the net amount is transferred to the pension scheme.
Example:
If DKK 5,000 is contributed by the employer, the post-tax value might be DKK 2,070—this is the actual amount deposited into the pension account.
What makes Net Pension unique is that tax is paid now, but the payouts are tax-free when the employee retires.
