The Tax Administration has observed that Katso users are concerned: More time for Katso users to change to Suomi.fi

Four months of extra time is given to the business enterprises, associations, foundations, forestry partnerships and municipal entities that use Katso IDs and passwords for submitting their tax returns electronically. This arrangement is necessary because after the new year begins, opportunities for electronic submittal of all tax returns must still be available for all taxpayers.

Those who submit tax returns and reports to the Incomes Register with Katso IDs, passwords, and authorisations can continue to do so to 30 April 2021. As for Finnish Customs, secure login with Katso will continue until the end of February. However, the planned withdrawal date was 31 December.

Although there is some additional time when the existing Katso service is still operational, the Finnish Tax Administration prompts all users to activate Suomi.fi authorisations as soon as they can. This involves updating their client authorisations via Suomi.fi and logging in with e-bank security codes, mobile certificates and certificate cards. If you need a valid authorisation from your client and you must make a Suomi.fi authorisation request, we recommend that you submit the request as soon as you can.

There are fewer Suomi.fi users than estimated

At the start of December, some 200,000 former users of Katso have become Suomi.fi users. At present, there are still more than 100,000 taxpayers, agents and representatives that use Katso.

− After we noticed that especially the new authorisation request in Suomi.fi has been difficult for some groups of taxpayers and agents, the Tax Administration decided to arrange for a longer availability for Katso. Senior Adviser Juha Kartano of the Finnish Tax Administration also pointed out that we need to offer full opportunities for electronic submittal of all tax returns without interruption, and that all taxpayers, agents, representatives, etc. must be given enough time to activate their Suomi.fi authorisations.

Benefits of the new Suomi.fi authorisations over Katso

These are some of the good reasons for moving on to Suomi.fi:

• When you log in to MyTax and other e-services, you will no longer have to have a separate identifier for it – it is enough if you have your personal e-bank codes.
• Accounting firms can benefit from the MyTax display that shows all the valid authorisations on one screen. This means that if you are an accountant, you no longer have to run separate searches to locate the clients that have a Katso authorisation and your other clients that have a Suomi.fi authorisation.

After the present Katso identification system retires and everyone is a Suomi.fi user, it will save money for the State of Finland because the 2 parallel systems are no longer kept up.

Detailed guidance on how to start using Suomi.fi

In the beginning of December, the Tax Administration mailed letters to some 38,000 users of Katso. The letter prompts everyone to migrate to Suomi.fi authorisations. Although some extra time is now available, the letter contains valid instructions and recommendations to activate Suomi.fi without delay.

Instructions for starting to use Suomi.fi authorisations:

• Katso to be withdrawn soon − how to start using Suomi.fi
• How to grant a Suomi.fi authorisation for tax matters
• Requesting an authorisation in Suomi.fi
• From Katso to Suomi.fi – the DVV

Suomi.fi and Katso are e-services provided by the Digital and Population Data Services agency.