Disputed invoice, debt collection and the Swedish Enforcement Authority – what happens?

By Mallbutiken · Fact-checked October 1, 2026

A disputed invoice can still be sent to debt collection or the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden), but this does not mean that the claim is substantively correct. However, you must continue to act and object at every stage where a new demand or official injunction is actually directed at you.

1. The invoice is disputed

Send the objection to the invoice issuer and save a copy. Describe the entire claim, or the part of it you are disputing, and the factual basis for your objection.

2. Debt collection demand

If a debt collection demand is sent and you still consider the claim incorrect, you should object to the debt collection agency immediately or within the time specified. The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) states that a debt collection agency must investigate any factually grounded objection.

Finansinspektionen took over full supervisory responsibility for the Debt Collection Act from the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) on January 1, 2024. Since July 1, 2025, Finansinspektionen's regulations and general guidelines FFFS 2025:2 on debt collection have been in effect.

3. Does a debt collection demand result in a record of non-payment (betalningsanmärkning)?

No, not in itself. Finansinspektionen explicitly states that a debt collection demand does not result in a record of non-payment in credit reporting agencies' registers. However, if you neither pay nor object, the case may proceed.

4. Application for a payment order at the Enforcement Authority

When someone has applied for a payment order, the Enforcement Authority sends a notice. Confirm that you have received the letter; this is merely proof of service and does not mean that you accept the claim.

If you consider the claim incorrect, you must object according to the instructions and within the deadline stated in the letter. If you do not object, the Enforcement Authority may issue a ruling and confirm the debt.

5. What happens if you object to the Enforcement Authority?

The party demanding payment must decide whether to pursue the dispute. If the applicant requests further review, the case may be transferred to a district court. It then becomes a civil dispute where the court assesses the underlying payment obligation.

6. When is a private individual at risk of receiving a record of non-payment?

The Enforcement Authority's statistics and guidance indicate that it is when a debt has been established that a natural person is at risk of receiving a record of non-payment in this type of case. The debt collection demand itself does not result in a record. For companies and certain public-law debts, credit reporting rules and the process may differ.

7. If a ruling has already been issued

Under certain conditions, the debtor may request a reopening of the case (återvinning) to have the matter tried by a court. Follow the deadline and instructions in the ruling immediately. Older guides sometimes state incorrect deadlines and should not be used as the sole basis for action.