As a king, Gustav Vasa started to transform Sweden into an autocratic nation - state. At that time this meant strong central authority led by an absolute monarch. Gustav Vasa made the tax-system much more efficient than it had been before. Earlier a number of farms or a village formed a tax unit; from now on every single farm was a unit. All farms, and how much each farm had to pay was precisely written down. The king had sheriffs who ensured that everyone paid their taxes. This meant heavily increased taxes for most farmers and caused rebellions in some parts of the country. The king handled the rebellions successfully (most rebels were killed). This strengthened his authority even more.

King Gustav Vasa is known for his correspondence with his subordinates. He personally wrote letters even to common farmers, telling them how to do things and solve problems. Some hundred years later in history when a quite romanticised picture of the king was drawn, this was used as an example of his greatness and one of the facts that, for many generations of Swedes, made him a beloved monarch. The people who received critical letters from King Gustav Vasa probably did not think of him as a "beloved monarch". Most people were presumably terrified.