Public information on individual income taxes

The content of the information published annually on tax assessment is defined by law. Changes in legislation have affected the contents of the information published over the years.

Name

The name included in the public information is the name in the Tax Administration’s records. The Tax Administration usually retrieves the name from the Digital and Population Data Agency’s Population Information System, and the name is presented as it is recorded in the system. The names of individuals in the public information are based on data available at the end of tax assessment.

County

An individual’s information is listed under the county in which the individual’s municipality of domicile was at the end of the year before the tax year.

According to § 5 of the act on assessment procedure (Laki verotusmenettelystä 1558/1995), an individual’s municipality of taxation is considered to be the municipality where the individual lived on the last day of the year before the tax year. The county under which the individual is listed in the public information is determined in the same way.

State taxation and municipal taxation

Earned income includes wages, pensions and some benefits. The tax imposed on earned income is comprised of the income tax imposed by the state of Finland and of the municipal tax determined by the municipal tax rate of the individual’s home municipality. Partly different deductions are taken into account in state taxation and municipal taxation. The amount of earned income subject to state taxation and the income subject to municipal taxation may therefore be different.

Capital income includes, for example, dividends from shares, rental income, and profit from selling assets. Capital income is subject only to state income taxation, not municipal taxation.

Imposed taxes and charges in total

The total amount of taxes and charges imposed is the total amount of taxes and charges that the individual paid during the year, including any punitive tax increase. The total also includes church tax, health insurance contributions, public broadcasting tax (as of 2013) and the Åland Islands media fee (as of 2021).

The public information does not include late-payment interest or refund interest. Late-payment interest with relief is imposed on back taxes and additional prepayments. Credit interest is accrued on the amount of tax refund payable to the individual. Credit interest is added to a tax refund when it is paid to the taxpayer’s bank account or used to pay a tax.

Prepayments/withholding in total

The total amount of tax prepayments and withholdings has been public information up until tax year 2022. Withholdings are the taxes that are directly withheld from wages or pension. Withholdings are also made from dividend income from Finland and from interest on deposits. Taxpayers who receive capital income can also make tax prepayments.

Tax refunds and back taxes

In tax assessment, an individual’s withholdings and prepayments are added together and compared to the amount of tax payable by the individual based on their tax assessment. If the total amount of withholdings and prepayments is greater than the amount payable, the individual will receive a tax refund. If it is less, the individual will have to pay back taxes.