It is mandatory for your company to apply for VAT registration with the Finnish tax authorities before starting your activities. Financial penalties may apply if the application for registration is submitted late.

If your file is complete, it generally takes one month to obtain the VAT number.

If your company wishes to register for VAT in Finland, it is essential to contact the Finnish tax authorities. There is no need to contact the tax authorities in your country of establishment.

In particular, your company will need to submit the following documents:

• The VAT registration form(s) completed in the language of the country
• A copy of the articles of association
• An extract from the trade register
• A certificate of VAT liability
• Power of attorney (if using a fiscal agent)
• Proof of activity on the territory of the country concerned: a contract, an order form, etc.

The Finnish tax authorities may require some of these documents to be translated into Finnish or Swedish.

Non-European companies cannot register for VAT themselves in Finland. They have to do it through a VAT representative. This is a local company that will represent you to the local VAT authorities. He is responsible for the respect of all your VAT obligations, including those of which he was not aware. For this reason, he may require a deposit (e.g. a bank guarantee) from you before accepting the representation assignment.

European companies are not obliged to appoint a VAT representative. However, to facilitate their relations with the local tax authorities, they may appoint a proxyholder (agent) to carry out the tax formalities on their behalf. In this case, it is not necessary to issue a bank guarantee. The company remains solely responsible for paying its VAT debts.

Your company must keep ledgers sufficiently detailed to enable the application of VAT and its control by the Finnish tax authorities.

If your company exceeds certain thresholds, it will be obliged to file an Intrastat statement before the 10th day of the following month.

The thresholds in Finland are:

• Arrivals: € 800,000
• Shipments: € 800,000

As a supplier of goods or services, your company is normally obliged to issue an invoice with VAT to its customer. This is the general rule. However, there are many derogatory situations which transfer this obligation to pay tax to the customer himself. These situations are known as "reverse charge" situations.

The special reverse charge rules have been introduced in Finland for foreign companies:

For supplies of goods:

The reverse charge is applicable to major supplies of goods goods [with exception for specific topics] made by a business not established in Finland, provided that the customer is VAT registered in Finland. In case the foreign supplier has opted to register for VAT, reverse charge mechanism is no more applicable.

For supplies of services:

The reverse charge is applicable to all domestic supplies of services [with exception for specific topics, incl. access rights to educational-, scientific-, cultural-, recreational-, and athletic events, fairs and exhibitions, or other similar activities] made by a business not established in Finland, provided that the customer is VAT registered in Finland. In case the foreign supplier has opted to register for VAT, reverse charge mechanism is no more applicable.

The VAT Directive lays down the minimum information that you must include on your invoice. In some cases, countries may add additional compulsory information. Particular attention should be paid to the conversion rates when the currency used on the invoice is not that of the country in which the transaction takes place, and to the specific statements justifying the legal reason why VAT is not charged.

Finland has 3 different VAT rates :

• Standard rate : 25,5%
• Intermediary rate : 14%
• Reduced rate: 10%

It is possible to send invoices in paper format.

There are several methods to obtain refunds of Finnish VAT. The practical formalities for reclaiming foreign VAT will differ depending on whether or not your company is established in Europe and/or is identified for VAT in Finland:

• If your company has a VAT number in Finland, it will have to submit a refund application in the form and within the timeframe required by local regulations. A VAT credit cannot be carried forward to the next period. Refund is in general automatically refunded after the tax authorities have approved it.

• If your company is established in a European country and does not have a VAT number in Finland, it will have to apply for a VAT refund electronically from its country of residence, in the form and within the time limits required by Directive 2008/9.

• If your company is established outside Europe and does not have a VAT number in Finland, it may have to appoint a tax representative to submit its refund application in the form and within the time limits required by the 13th Directive.

VAT incurred on purchases, imports or intra-Community acquisitions of goods and services can be reclaimed by a foreign company provided that these expenses are for taxable activities and provided that the appropriate documentation is available.

VAT is however not recoverable or partially recoverable notably on the following expenses:

• Property that the taxable person or his staff use as a residence, nursery or recreational/leisure facility, as well as goods and services connected to it.
• Goods and services related to transport between the place of residence and place of work of the taxable person or his staff.
• Entertainment, representation and presents.