Income Tax Filing Season Opens
Nearly 95,000 taxpayers had already submitted their tax forms by 8:30 on Friday, the first day that 2012 declarations are being accepted.
The last day to file is April 1 and the Tax and Customs Board will begin issuing income tax returns by February 28 at the latest. The deadline for paying income taxes and for issuing returns is July 1.
The tax administrator received 646,800 declarations and paid back 100 million euros in returns last year. This year, it is predicting that around 645,000 people will file.
Tax and Customs Board official Hannes Udde said people should pay attention to the new rules, such as reduced deductions limits for training expenses, mortgage interest, donations and voluntary pension funds. More information in English can be found here.
Estonia has been recognized for its simple electronic tax filing system. The large majority of people file their taxes online and it usually takes just a few minutes. The income tax rate in Estonia is 21 percent and there is a 33 percent social tax that is paid by the employer.