Circular Note, 16 September: Changes in tax refund procedures
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs present their compliments to the Diplomatic Missions, Consular Posts and International Bodies accredited to Helsinki and have the honour to inform of the following changes in tax refund procedures.
From 1 January 2025 onwards the Value Added Tax refund applications will have to be submitted to the Protocol Services electronically using the e-service. The same eservice has been used for applications for tax and duty exempt imports and purchases since January 2023. From the beginning of next year all these applications will be processed only electronically and no paper forms will be accepted.
The e-service is provided by the Suomi.fi Web Service and will require strong identification. In order to use the e-service, Missions will need to register their right to grant mandates at Suomi.fi Web Service. Mandates can be granted to one or several members of the Mission. More information on the requirements for the use of the eservice is available in the appendices.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs recommend all Missions, Consular Posts and International Bodies that are not yet using the e-service to act promptly in order to ensure a smooth transition from paper applications to electronic applications.
The Protocol Services together with the Tax Administration organizes a Teams session on 2 October 2024, at 10.00 – 11.00 hours to inform about the changes and to demonstrate the use of the e-service. Participants have the possibility to present questions to the Tax Administration specialists in relation to taxation.
Questions to the Tax Administration specialists may be sent in advance by email when registering. The session will be recorded and FAQ will be gathered for future reference to the Ministry’s Diplomatic Portal.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs avail themselves of this opportunity to renew to the Diplomatic Missions, Consular Posts and International Bodies accredited to Helsinki the assurance of their highest consideration.
Helsinki, 16 September 2024
To
the Diplomatic Missions, Consular Posts and International Bodies accredited to Helsinki