Director General's review of the past year

Managed and responsible transformation

For the Finnish Tax Administration, year 2025 was unusually demanding. The central government faced significant budgetary pressures, and our operational landscape shifted with considerable speed over the year. However, we were able to keep our organisational transformation going and improve our efficiency as a public authority – regardless of our operating costs falling to approximately 395 million euros last year, the level they were at 12 years ago.

We have introduced new, more efficient methods and utilized AI in many tasks in ways that support both our work with taxpayers and the impact of our regulatory operations. Successful renewal requires careful, responsible leadership and, above all, skilled staff with the ability to learn. Much of the credit for this belongs to our staff.

Unfortunately, the savings targets were also reflected in our services. We were forced to reduce the number of physical customer service points and to limit our phone service availability. While digital services have advanced significantly and solutions such as chatbots support customer service better than ever before, nothing fully replaces personal service for those who need it most. Changes in service levels have inevitably also affected the workload of our personnel. 

However, we continue to receive positive feedback from taxpayers, and trust surveys show that the Tax Administration’s activities are widely appreciated. Satisfaction with our customer service has remained high. Discussions about the reduction in physical mail also reflect an essential principle: our clients need a communication channel they can trust and use easily. Digital mail has proven to be a practical solution for the majority of users, but paper mail remains an option for those who need it.

Some of our planned developments did not move as fast as we hoped. Essential legislative projects that would have facilitated our core tasks failed to materialise, slowing down some long-term reforms. Looking at the bigger picture, Finland was stagnant in many respects in 2025, which inevitably impacted our own activities. However, the Tax Administration cannot afford to stand still. Continuous renewal remains vital.

The most serious change in the operating environment is the growth of a new, complex type of organized economic crime. The phenomenon is gaining a foothold in Finland, and combating it requires close, extensive cooperation between public authorities. We are committed to this work.

At the same time, it should be noted that Finns are still highly conscientious and reliable taxpayers. Their contribution is the foundation of the funding and the functional capacity of the welfare state. Without this strong foundation, the challenges of 2025 would have been much harder.

Our vision for the future is built on managed, sustainable renewal. The changing operating environment requires courage, expertise, and collaboration, and the Tax Administration has all three.