Finnish tax refund calculator 2026
Enter your salary for the year, the tax withheld from it and your deductions to see whether money comes back or you owe more.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Calculation method
With a 2026 salary of €45,000 in Helsinki, your final taxes and contributions come to €6,968.11, while your employer withholds €6,975.00 at your 15.5% tax card rate, so €6.89 comes back as a tax refund (veronpalautus). The refund grows when you claim deductions your tax card did not know about: in the same example, €500 of trade union and unemployment fund fees, €2,500 of commuting costs and €3,000 of household work lift it to €1,721. Residual tax (jäännösvero) is the opposite case: part of your income had no tax withheld, or your card included deductions that never happened. A pay rise rarely causes it, because pay above the income limit is withheld at a much higher additional rate. The calculator first works out your final tax with the same 2026 rules Vero uses, subtracts the household tax credit and then compares the result with the tax withheld that you enter from your payslips or MyTax (OmaVero). Leave out the pension and unemployment insurance contributions: they are final and never refunded.
Estimated tax refund
€532
Final tax rate 15.5%
| Salary income | €45,000 |
|---|---|
| Net earned income after deductions | €44,250 |
| Taxable income (municipal tax) | €40,169 |
| Earned income tax credit | − €3,245 |
| Final taxes and contributions | €6,968 |
| Tax withheld during the year | €7,500 |
Estimate. Capital income, deficit credit and other deductions are not included. Calculation method
Five versions of the same salary
Each row uses €45,000 of salary in Helsinki, no church tax, with €6,975.00 withheld because the tax card was calculated without deductions. Deductions are only claimed in the tax assessment, so they show up in full in the refund.
| Situation | Final tax | Withheld | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| No deductions | €6,968.11 | €6,975.00 | €6.89 |
| Union and fund fees €500 | €6,772.80 | €6,975.00 | €202.20 |
| Commuting €2,500 | €6,347.65 | €6,975.00 | €627.35 |
| Household work €3,000 | €6,068.11 | €6,975.00 | €906.89 |
| All three | €5,254.40 | €6,975.00 | €1,720.60 |
Commuting gives the biggest return here because everything above the €900 own share is deducted from income, saving tax at your marginal rate. The household credit works differently: it is subtracted from tax itself, so €3,000 of renovation or cleaning labour returns the same amount at any income level, as long as you pay enough tax to absorb it.
How the final tax is worked out
The tool follows the order of the Finnish assessment. From salary it subtracts the automatic €750 work-expense deduction, commuting costs above the own share and membership fees to reach net earned income. Then come the pension, unemployment insurance and daily allowance contributions and the basic deduction. On the taxable income left it applies state tax, municipal tax, any church tax and the 1.10% health care contribution. The earned income credit reduces state tax, the Yle tax is added and the household credit comes off last. All 2026 rates are listed in Vero’s 2026 tax bases.
Deductions the calculator handles
- Trade union and unemployment fund (kassa) fees, deducted in full from earned income.
- Commuting costs by the cheapest means of transport, with a €900 own share and a €7,000 yearly cap; 0.27 €/km when using your own car is accepted. The government has proposed lowering the own share to €800, but the calculator applies current law. Details on the commuting deduction page.
- Household tax credit on work bought from a company, under current law. Splitting it with a spouse and the proposed increase are covered by the household credit calculator.
- Children and age under More options: each child under 18 raises the earned income credit by €105.
Before you rely on the result
The tool ignores capital income, the deficit credit, the student loan deduction, other work expenses and benefits taxed differently. If any of those apply to you, treat the figure as a rough guide. Compare it with the pre-completed tax return Vero publishes in MyTax and add any deduction it is missing. Your total tax withheld is also on the last payslip of the year. Reasons for refunds and residual tax are covered in tax refund and residual tax, and you can check next year’s card with the tax rate calculator.