In 2014, property taxes in the regions of Finland have been increased in order to attract more funds by municipalities. In 2015, the property owners, especially foreign, are faced with big taxes than before, as reported by the fontanka.fi portal citing Jyrki Tiihonen, Head of the Helsinki Department of Revenue.
Now municipalities collect more taxes and have the right to enter its regional coefficient. At the federal level, a tax for the Finns and foreigners is the same, though in practice the owners of cottages (usually foreigners or second-home owners who do not register there) are taxed more than the permanent residents of the municipalities in Finland.
Rates are set by the authorities of municipalities, according to the base scale:
- 0.37-0.80% – a main tax on real estate for permanent residents;
- 0.80-1.55% – a tax for other categories;
- 1.00-3.00% – a tax on construction sites.
Various municipalities set their tax percentage.
|
Municipality
|
Tax on holiday homes
|
Tax for locals, residents in Finland
|
|
Parikkala (South Karelia)
|
1.1%
|
0.5%
|
|
Imatra (South Karelia)
|
0.97%
|
0.37%
|
|
Kuopio (Northern Savo)
|
1.1%
|
0.52%
|
|
Helsinki
|
0.8%
|
0.37%
|