Incomes register to ease tax, Kela work

Once the database of the planned income register is established by the 1 January 2019 deadline, Finns will be able to check their earnings in near real time, reported the local media outlet MTV news.

The social insurance institution-Kela and the Tax Administration will, for instance, have access to the register.

Both the authorities believe the new register will ease their workload, while preventing a significant number of irregularities.

Risto Karhunen of the Finance Finland said the register will also be useful for the insurance industry.

According to Karhunen, the register’s real time attribute will lend additional strength to prevention of the shadow economy.

​I​f they wish, workers may check if their employers have entered the information on their earnings in the register and verify if that information is actually there.

The same applies to those who offer statutory accident and occupational pension insurance. For instance, they can check the authenticity of the number of employees declared by the employers to fall under these categories.

According to Kela, the incomes register will initially be relevant to employing organisations, which must make their payroll administration compliant with it by the beginning of 2019.

Besides the Tax Administration and Kela, the incomes register will also be used by the authorised pension providers, the Unemployment Insurance Fund, individual unemployment funds, the Education Fund, ELY Centres, municipal authorities, and liability insurance providers.