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Self-employed

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Do you have - or are you considering starting - a self-employed business?

The unemployment benefit system is aimed at both self-employed and employees. But it can be difficult to maneuver around the unemployment benefit system as a self-employed person. That's why it's always a good idea to contact Min A-kasse if you're unemployed, self-employed or considering starting a business. We are ready to advise you and discuss any thoughts you may have.

Below you can read more about the characteristics of self-employment and how it differs from having a second job.

What are the characteristics of self-employment?

Self-employment is when you own all or part of a business for the purpose of financial gain and when you have work associated with running the business.

In addition, at least one of the following conditions must apply:

  • Your company is registered with a CVR number or an SE number.
  • The profit or loss from the business is taxed as self-employment.
  • You are paid salary as A-income from a company where you have a decisive influence. Contact us to define what is meant by this.
  • You receive B-income, which is reported as self-employment to SKAT.

If you work in your spouse's company without being a co-owner, you are also considered self-employed, unless you have had your salary reported to the income register, where AM contributions have been paid.

A distinction is made between secondary or main occupation and whether it is asset management

As a starting point, it is SKAT's definitions that are decisive for our assessment in the individual case.

Call us - we'll help you with your questions about being self-employed and receiving unemployment benefits

Contact us if you want help, sparring or guidance - both in relation to the regulatory jungle and in relation to taking the plunge into self-employment. We are with you and will help you on your way. There are plenty of options, but the unemployment benefit rules can be time-consuming to navigate on your own.

Self-employment as a second job and supplementary unemployment benefits

Can you receive unemployment benefits and start your own business at the same time?

It is now possible to start your own business even if you are also receiving unemployment benefits. This can be helpful because it gives you a financial boost to start a business in the first few months.

Below you can read more about the conditions that must be met when you receive unemployment benefits and have self-employment as a secondary occupation. If you are self-employed as your main occupation, it is not possible to receive unemployment benefits.

Please note that there is a distinction between whether you started your self-employed business before you became unemployed or while you are unemployed. Read about the difference here.

The conditions that apply when you receive unemployment benefit do not change when you receive supplementary unemployment benefit.

You still have to:

  • be registered with your local job center
  • be actively looking for a job
  • Attend the meetings you are invited to
  • send us an unemployment benefit card no earlier than the last day of each benefit period (find the periods in the self-service)
  • be able to take over a job with a working week of at least 30 hours at one day's notice.

The way you organize the running of your business should not stand in the way of being available.

You should also make sure to state how many hours and minutes you have spent on your business. You can read more about this below.

Your unemployment benefit card when you have a self-employed side job

When you fill out your unemployment benefit card, you must state how many hours and minutes you have spent on your business in the "self-employment" section - you must do this even if you have not had an income. This applies to all work tasks, including outreach work, administrative work and transportation time. The hours will be deducted from your unemployment benefits.

It does not matter what day of the week or time of day the work was performed. All hours worked must be entered on your unemployment benefit card. This means that you can work in your own company during the daytime.

Find out how to fill out the unemployment benefit card correctly.

How long can you receive supplementary unemployment benefits?

You have 30 weeks of entitlement to supplementary unemployment benefit. The 30 weeks count from the 1st of the month in which you start your business. When you have self-employed secondary employment, all weeks where you work less than 37 hours are counted, regardless of whether you have worked in your business during those weeks or not.

Your 30 weeks count from the 1st of the month in which you start your business - and you will receive supplementary unemployment benefit for the entire month in which the right to supplementary unemployment benefit expires.

How to extend your entitlement to supplementary unemployment benefits

You can extend your entitlement by four weeks if you have reported this to SKAT 12 months before the entitlement expires:

  • A month with more than 146 payroll hours
  • Two 14-day periods with more than 68 paid hours or
  • Four weeks with more than 34 paid hours.

If you have had B-income that is not included in a company's profit or loss, the amount is converted to hours.

You can also extend your entitlement by four weeks for every month you have been self-employed and not receiving unemployment benefits. Please note that your business must have been registered in the public register for six months at the end of the 30 weeks.

You can extend your entitlement by a maximum of 12 weeks - that's four weeks in three installments.

How you can earn back your full entitlement to supplementary unemployment benefits

You can earn 30 new weeks of supplementary unemployment benefit. This requires that you have reported the following to SKAT within 12 consecutive months:

  • More than 146 paid hours in at least 6 of the months
  • More than 68 paid hours in at least 13 14-day periods or
  • More than 34 paid hours for at least 26 weeks.

You can also earn 30 new weeks if you have had a total income of DKK 263,232 (2024 figure) from A and B income and profits from self-employment during an income year in which you have not received unemployment benefits.

If you can't renew or get a new right

If you don't have enough hours or income to extend or re-earn your entitlement to supplementary unemployment benefits, you'll have to close, sell, lease or quit your business to receive unemployment benefits. However, it's a condition that you still have hours left with entitlement to unemployment benefits.

Discontinuation of self-employment

Are you stopping self-employment? Remember that you must deregister from public registers

We also need documentation that the company has been deregistered from the Central Business Register (CVR) and the tax obligations have been transferred or completed. Here we need confirmations from the Danish Business Authority and SKAT.

If you want to sell, transfer or lease the business, we need documentation to prove this. However, please note that this cannot be done to a spouse, cohabitant or minor children.

If you choose to leave a business that is continued by your spouse or co-owners, different rules apply and we recommend that you contact us in that situation.

Important if you cease to be self-employed multiple times

In addition to the first time you register as unemployed and are classified after ceasing self-employment, you can cease self-employment once during an unemployment benefit period.

If you have multiple self-employment terminations, you lose the right to unemployment benefits until you meet both a new income requirement for placement in an unemployment benefit period and the requirement for regaining the right to a new 30-week period of supplementary unemployment benefits.

Can you get unemployment benefits if you have a CVR number?

Many people may be unsure whether you can receive unemployment benefits when you have a CVR number. The short answer is yes, you can, but there are different requirements depending on whether you are self-employed as your main or secondary occupation.

Main employment
In the case of main employment, you must cease to be self-employed before you can receive unemployment benefits. You can stop in several different ways:

  • If you close your business
  • If you sell your business
  • If you lease out your business
  • If you leave the business, which is continued by others
  • If the company has gone bankrupt.

Secondary employment
In the case of secondary employment, you can receive unemployment benefits if you are otherwise available for work. The hours you spend on your business are deducted from your unemployment benefits regardless of when the work is done.

Read more about the rules for main and secondary self-employment.

How many hours can I work as self-employed?

How many hours can you work as a self-employed person if you receive supplementary unemployment benefits?

You can receive supplementary unemployment benefits for up to 160.33 hours per month if you work or are paid for 145.53 hours or less in that month.

There is a minimum limit on how little unemployment benefit you can receive, so you cannot receive unemployment benefit if you only work 14.8 hours in a month.

You must therefore work less than 145.53 hours per month to be eligible for supplementary unemployment benefits.