Transfer tax 2026: how much, when and how to pay

How much is transfer tax

The amount of transfer tax depends on whether you buy a housing company share or real estate. For a housing company share, such as an apartment in a block of flats or a terraced house, the tax is 1,5 %. For real estate, for example a detached house with its plot or a holiday home on its own plot, the tax is 3 %. The percentages have been in force since 12.10.2023, when they fell from 2 and 4 %.

The transfer tax exemption for first-time home buyers was repealed on 1.1.2024. The exemption now applies only to purchases agreed in a binding way by 31.12.2023 at the latest. A first-time home buyer therefore also pays the tax on the same grounds as others.

The taxpayer is always the transferee, that is, the buyer, even if the purchase agreement provides otherwise for sharing the costs. If the calculated tax is under 10 euros, it is not collected, but the notification must still be submitted.

• Housing company share: 1,5 % of the purchase price and the share of the company loan
• Real estate: 3% of the purchase price
• Other securities: 1,5 %
• Inheritance and gifts do not give rise to transfer tax

What amount the tax is calculated on

In the sale of housing company shares, the tax is calculated on the purchase price and the share of the company loan attributable to the home, together, i.e. the so-called debt-free price. In the Tax Administration's example, a purchase price of 60 000 euros and a company loan share of 20 000 euros form a tax base of 80 000 euros, and the tax paid is 1 200 euros.

The housing company loan share is part of the tax base regardless of whether it is paid off at the time of the sale or monthly as financing charges. That is why you should always calculate the tax on the debt-free price rather than the asking price.

For example, on a debt-free price of 250 000 euros, the transfer tax is 1,5 %, or 3 750 euros. If you buy a detached house of the same price as real estate, the tax is 3 %, or 7 500 euros.

It is worth including transfer tax already when planning your mortgage and own funds, because it falls due at the time of the purchase or soon after. The loan cap is 95 % from 1.7.2026, so the buyer needs at least a 5 % own-funds share, and it is wise to agree with the bank in advance on financing the tax and other purchase costs.

Buyer of a new-build property

The buyer of a new-build property also pays transfer tax. The tax is 1.5% of the purchase price and the share of company loan combined. In the Finnish Tax Administration's example, a purchase price of €120,000 and a company loan share of €160,000 produce a tax base of €280,000 and a tax of €4,200.

For a new-build property, the notification must be made and the tax paid within two months of the transfer of ownership to the buyer. The transfer of ownership is agreed in the deed of sale, and it usually passes when the building is completed and the whole purchase price has been paid. Each buyer reports the tax themselves, even if an agent was used in the sale.

When the tax must be paid

If a housing company share is bought through a real estate agent, the agent reports the tax and the tax is paid at the time of the sale. In a housing company share sale made without an agent, the buyer files the transfer tax return and pays the tax within two months of signing the deed of sale. If there are two buyers, each files and pays their own share using their own reference number.

In a property purchase, the tax must be paid at the latest when title registration is applied for, and always within six months of signing the deed of sale. The transfer tax return must be filed and the tax paid before applying for title registration.

A property buyer should know that they may also become liable for earlier unpaid transfer taxes. According to the Central Federation of Finnish Taxpayers, from 1.1.2017 the liability applies to transfers made within three years before the title registration application. It is therefore worth checking from the title register and the seller that earlier sales have been handled correctly.

How to declare and pay in OmaVero

The easiest way to file the transfer tax return and pay the tax is in OmaVero, where the payment details are filled in automatically. When filing on the paper form (6012), the deed of sale is required as an attachment. OmaVero tells you before sending whether attachments are needed.

Proof of the tax paid usually appears in OmaVero about two working days after the declaration and payment. If the housing company is in the apartment data system, the payment is passed on automatically when the ownership is registered with the National Land Survey of Finland. Otherwise, the proof is given to the property manager before the ownership is entered in the share register.

If the payment is late

A late notification can result in a late-filing fee or a tax increase, and late payments accrue default interest. According to the Finnish Taxpayers' Association, unpaid tax is increased by 20% for each started six-month period, and the increase can be at most 100%.

The error can be corrected by submitting a corrected notification. In Housing Radar you can see current prices per square metre, interest rates and home purchase costs, which help you estimate the total cost of the purchase before making an offer.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources

1. Finnish Tax Administration: Transfer tax
2. Finnish Tax Administration: Buyer of a housing company share
3. Finnish Tax Administration: Buying a newly built property
4. Finnish Tax Administration: Transfer tax exemption for a first home
5. Taxpayers of Finland: Transfer tax
6. Finnish Tax Administration: Transfer tax calculator

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.

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