Finland

Personal income tax rates for resident individuals

Finland taxes residents on their worldwide income. Earned income received by residents is taxed at progressive tax rates for national tax purposes and at a flat tax rate for municipal (and church and social security) tax purposes.

National tax rates

National tax rates for 2024 applicable to earned income are as follows:

Capital (investment) income is taxed at rates of 30% and 34% (the latter percentage is applicable when the annual taxable capital income exceeds EUR 30,000).

Local income taxes

Municipal tax is levied at flat rates on taxable income determined for municipal taxation. The rate varies between 4.40% and 10.80%, depending on the municipality. The average municipal tax rate utilised in specific progressive taxation for non-tax residents is 7.50%.

Church tax

Church tax is payable by members of the Evangelic Lutheran, Orthodox, and Finnish German church in Finland at flat rates on the taxable income determined for municipal taxation. Rates vary between 1% and 2.25%, depending on the parish concerned.

Public broadcasting tax

Public broadcasting tax is levied on taxable income. The rate of public broadcasting tax is 2.5% on annual income exceeding EUR 14,000; however, the maximum amount is EUR 163. Individuals are not liable to pay the tax if their annual income is EUR 14,000 or less, if the individual is under 18 years old, or if the individual lives in the Province of Åland. Åland has its own media fee, which has the same requirements concerning age and income limit, and the amount of the fee is fixed to EUR 111.

Foreign expert tax regime

The foreign expert tax regime provides a flat tax rate of 32% on Finnish-source salary income for those foreign employees whose work requires special knowledge and who would be otherwise taxed at the normal progressive tax rates applicable to resident individuals. Other conditions are that the cash salary is at least EUR 5,800 in each month during the validity period of the regime. The regime cannot be applied if the person has been resident in Finland within the last five calendar years preceding the commencement of working in Finland or is a Finnish national.

The foreign expert tax regime has been applicable for a maximum of 48 months from the commencement of working in Finland but starting from the 1.1.2024 the maximum period is 84 months; after that period, the salary is taxed according to the normal rules. The application for the regime must be filed within 90 days from starting to work in Finland. If a person has received decision for a shorter period than 84 months he/she must apply extension within 30 days from the date when applicability period of the original decision ended. 

Personal income tax rates for non-resident individuals

A non-resident individual (e.g. occasionally working in Finland) is taxed on Finnish-source income only. Unless lower rates are provided in a tax treaty, tax rates are 35% on employment income and 30% on dividends, interest (however, interest income is normally not taxable for a non-resident) and royalties. In principle, no itemised deductions are allowed against the aforementioned income.  When the 35% tax-at-source tax is collected, EUR 510 per full month is deducted from the taxable amount of income. EUR 17 per day is deducted from the total amount of income accumulated over a period of less than a month. However, the maximum deduction is the amount of income. In order to get a deduction, the deduction must be mentioned in the individual’s withholding tax card. Finnish-source pension income is taxed at the progressive tax rate (if a tax treaty does not prevent Finland to tax the pension).

A non-resident may also request to be taxed on one's income earned in Finland through tax assessment (i.e. progressive taxation) instead of fixed tax at source. The regulation applies to non-residents who live in the European Economic Area (EEA) or in a country with which Finland has concluded an agreement on execution assistance and information exchange in tax matters, or those who hold a residence permit with a researcher status.

The provisions on tax at source on earned income remain to be valid for those non-residents who do not apply for a non-resident tax withholding card or express in any other way their will that taxation shall be carried out through assessment. In general, non-residents subject to tax at source do not have reporting liabilities in Finland as the entity paying the income takes care of the tax-at-source withholding as well as the reporting liabilities in Finland.

In progressive taxation of a non-resident's earned income, the non-resident's worldwide earned income (i.e. salary income, pension income, and social security benefits) is taken into account when calculating the tax on income earned in Finland (exemption with progression). However, the income received abroad, or income received from Finland that is not taxable in Finland in accordance with provisions of an applicable tax treaty, is not taken into account in the progression if the individual lives within the European Economic Area or holds a residence permit with a researcher status and the taxable earned income received from Finland is at least 75% of the individual's total earned income.

Remuneration to artists and sportsmen is subject to 15% tax at source (no deductions available).

Finnish-source income other than mentioned above is subject to income tax at normal tax rates (earned income is taxed at a progressive tax rate and capital income at rates of 30% or 34%) unless a tax treaty provides otherwise. For example, rental income from property located in Finland is subject to assessment and the net rental income is taxed at 30% or 34%.