Taxpayers must verify pre-filled data and declare missing income before April 30, the authority said. Taxpayers should carefully review their declarations before submission, as refunds and deductions have changed this year.

Riina Randver-Sõer, head of the MTA's income tax department said that there is no need to hurry when declaring income, noting: "In the first few days, our e-services environment, e-MTA, may experience high traffic due to a large number of users."

"In such cases, we ask for patience and recommend logging in again after some time. There is no need to rush with income declarations, as they can be submitted until April 30," Randver-Sõer went on.

The income tax declaration period for individuals begins tomorrow, Saturday.

A large portion of income tax declarations has already been pre-filled based on data available to the MTA. Nevertheless, the MTA urges taxpayers to verify whether the pre-filled information is correct.

Any income not included in the pre-filled declaration must be added manually. Riina Randver-Sõer said: "If there are inaccuracies in the pre-filled data—for example, property sales that are tax-exempt—we ask individuals to delete the relevant entry themselves.

"Likewise, if any income earned last year is missing from the declaration, such as rental income, income from a platform, or income earned abroad, these must be manually entered."

Changes from previous years include that taxpayers can no longer deduct mortgage interest or claim additional tax-free income for children or spouses from last year's earnings. However, taxpayers can still deduct education expenses, donations, and gifts up to €1,200.

Contributions to the third pillar of the pension system (private pension schemes) can also be deducted, up to a maximum of 15 percent of taxable income, though to no more than €6,000.

"If the education expense data is not pre-filled in the declaration or differs from known amounts, it is advisable to contact the educational institution and request that the data be submitted to the MTA or corrected," Riina Randver-Sõer added.

For the 2024 tax return, the income tax rate is 20 percent. The general tax-free income is up to €7,848 per year, depending on total income.

With annual incomes exceeding €25,200, the tax-free amount is zero. For individuals of retirement age, the tax-free income threshold comes to €9,312 per year.

The MTA is to begin refunding overpaid income tax to e-MTA filers on March 5, while paper filers will receive refunds starting March 18. The deadline for both refunds and additional tax payments is October 1.

Those whose income tax has been correctly withheld do not need to file a declaration. Likewise, those earning less than €7,848 per annum, or retirees earning under €9,312 a year, are exempt.

Another change this year has been the introduction of the car tax. Vehicle owners can submit tax declarations after receiving their motor vehicle tax notice, which allows them to review their obligations, the MTA said.

In any case over the first few weeks of tax season, MTA helplines and service offices may experience longer-than-usual wait times. From February 17, the authority's Kärdla (Hiiumaa), Rapla, and Jõgeva offices will open temporarily to assist taxpayers.

Estonia's tax season kicks off February 15, while the Tax and Customs Board (MTA), urges accuracy over speed, with key changes affecting deductions and refunds.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!