Bringing a vehicle to Finland – how to file and pay car tax
Submit a declaration of vehicle use
Submit a declaration of use if you put a vehicle into taxable operation before registering it in Finland. Operation is deemed to start when the vehicle is driven on the road.
No declaration is required in the following circumstances:
- Finnish vehicle registration for your car or other vehicle is ready, already before you start using it.
- No driving on the road is taking place, i.e. you use a trailer, truck transport, etc.
- Your driving is deemed exempted from car tax, subject to the rules on tax-exempt use. Read more about tax-exempt vehicle use
Submit the declaration in MyTax.
See the guidance: How to submit a Declaration of motor vehicle use in MyTax
Alternatively, you can submit the declaration on paper (Form 1220).
Note: When you bring any motor vehicle to Finland, it must have valid vehicle registration in another EEA country, or you must request a transfer permit from the Finnish Transport and Communication Agency (Traficom).
Submit the tax return
If you submitted a declaration of use, file a car tax return within 5 days from when you started using the vehicle. Please note that because you are the person who places the vehicle into service, you become liable to Finnish car tax and you must submit the tax return.
If no declaration of use was submitted, file the car tax return in MyTax before the vehicle’s taxable operation in Finland starts or before the vehicle is registered.
Complete the return in MyTax.
See the guidance: How to file a car tax return in MyTax
Alternatively, you can submit the return on paper (Form1200).
Although you can present the vehicle at the inspection station for having it registered already before you submit the return, the registration cannot be finalised until the tax is paid.
After submission of the return, you can still make corrections to it. This option will remain available to you in MyTax up to the time when the Tax Administration’s decision on car tax is issued. This means that you can make the corrections that are needed without the necessity to create a full replacement of the original return. The most recent corrected tax return will always replace the previous return.
How to edit a tax return that you had sent earlier on the same day:
- Change over to the Communication tab on MyTax home page, and select Status of returns and requests. After that, select Filed returns and submitted reports, requests and applications.
- Now you can open the car tax return you had sent.
Click Edit on top of the page to start.
How to edit a tax return that you had sent a few days previously
(when no decision on car tax has yet been issued):
- Click on Show details on car tax in the Car tax section on MyTax home page. Click the Vehicle identification number field to activate the tax return for editing. Open the return. Click Correct on top of the page.
However, if you already received the tax decision concerning your vehicle, you can no longer make corrections in MyTax. To make any changes would require that you submit a claim for adjustment. For more information, see Claiming adjustment of car tax.
If your vehicle category is “passenger car” or “van” and its age is less than 24 months, you should additionally fill in information on its accessories and equipment, often called options. Accessories, equipment or options do not need to be reported for fully electric cars or tax-exempt camper vans. For more information, see the guidance.
The Tax Administration’s processing time for a car tax assessment is deemed to start when your return, application, request, etc. arrives at the Tax Administration. If the taxable value of a motor vehicle has to be assessed manually, or if we need to contact you to request further information, the processing may take longer.
You can view details on reported vehicles and the processing status of vehicle-specific car tax returns by clicking the “Show details on car tax” link in MyTax. First select Vehicles reported, and then go to Further information.
MyTax will show the processing status by reference to every vehicle identification number. The processing status shown in MyTax may be Received, Being processed, Respond to an information request, or Open the decision.
Pay the car tax to obtain vehicle registration
When your car tax return is submitted and processed, and you receive the Tax Administration’s decision, you can pay the tax. The decision letter will be in MyTax, and sent by post to your home address, unless you are a user of Suomi.fi messages instead of paper mail.
Pay the tax either in MyTax or your e-bank. Payment information, bank reference number, etc. are indicated by the decision on car tax.
See detailed instructions for payment.
When your tax payment is displayed on the Tax Administration’s bank account, vehicle registration can be finalised. In general, arriving payments are displayed on the next weekday or a couple of days after the day when you paid the tax. You will receive a MyTax message informing you that vehicle registration can be finalised. If you are a user of Suomi.fi, the message will also come to your e-mail inbox.
Take your vehicle to an inspection station and have it inspected and registered. Although you can present the vehicle at the inspection station for the purpose of having it registered already before you submit the tax return, the registration cannot be finalised until the tax is paid.
Read more about Registration inspection (Traficom)
Vehicles in Åland
Åland's vehicle authority is Fordonsmyndigheten, which is responsible for the vehicle register, inspections and number plates.
Value-added tax for a new means of transport
When you import a vehicle to Finland from another EU country, you must file and pay VAT on a new means of transport in addition to car tax, if one or the other of these 2 conditions applies:
- The vehicle was sold before 6 months had elapsed from the date of its first entry into service.
- By the time when the vehicle was sold, it had been driven max. 6000 kilometres.
Did you buy your vehicle outside the EU?
If your motor vehicle is from a non-EU country, you need to submit a declaration for obtaining customs clearance when importing the vehicle.
Read more about customs clearance on the website of Finnish Customs.
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