Fuel retailers Neste Eesti AS was the largest corporate taxpayer in Q4 in Estonia, paying close to €33.5 million in taxes, the bulk of which came as state taxes, according to recently released Tax and Customs Board (MTA) data.

In general, fuel retailers, together with wholesale companies dominated the top ten, occupying six spots and contributing a total of €164.7 million to state coffers.

Other companies featured the Estonian arm of tobacco giant Philip Morris, telecoms company Telia and supermarket chain Maxima.

On the other hand, the Port of Tallinn (Tallinna Sadam AS) dropped out of the top 10, where it had been in Q3, as did another fuel company, Petroil PVTK OÜ.

The total amount of tax paid by the top ten companies came to €253.6 million, an 8.7% drop on the equivalent sum in Q3.

The full break down is as follows.

 The data also shows that labour costs make up a very small proportion (less than 1%) of taxation in the case of most fuel companies, particularly Neste, which runs automated filling stations (see pic). Circle K's costs in that respect are much higher. Telia on the other hand has a far higher labour costs bill at close to a third of the total.

Corporate income tax on distributed profits stands at 20% at present, though from 2018 a lower rate of 14% for companies making regular profit distributions has reportedly been available. All undistributed corporate profits are tax-exempt in Estonia. The Estonian tax regime applies to both Estonian resident companies, which must pay tax on worldwide earnings, and permanent establishments (PEs) of non-resident companies registered in Estonia, which must pay tax only on earnings inside Estonia.

Labour taxes and contributions, or social tax, stands at 33%, 20% is social security and 13% health insurance.

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