Finland · Tax regime
Finnish Inheritance and Gift Tax
This has NOT been abolished, despite persistent reports to the contrary. One report proposed replacing it with a capital gains tax, but the proposal was never implemented. For 2026, the tax-free threshold rose from EUR 20,000 to EUR 30,000, the gift tax threshold rose from EUR 5,000 to EUR 7,500 (on a 3-year rolling basis), and the household goods exemption rose from EUR 4,000 to EUR 7,500. In March 2026, Finance Minister Riikka Purra explicitly ruled out abolition, citing a revenue loss of at least EUR 1bn.
The reports of Finnish inheritance tax abolition are wrong, and they keep circulating. The Finance Minister rejected the proposal in March 2026. She did so publicly, and against members of her own coalition, on revenue grounds. What actually happened was a modest raising of thresholds. Do not build a Finnish estate plan on an abolition that is not coming.
Qualifying routes
The tax-free threshold for 2026, raised from EUR 20,000
The threshold, raised from EUR 5,000, on a 3-year rolling basis
The facts
- Minimum
- €30k
- Total landed cost
- Progressive rates on estates above EUR 30,000, with rates depending on the relationship class.
- Route type
- Tax regime, not a visa
- Physical presence
- Finnish residence of the deceased or the beneficiary, or Finnish-situated assets
- Family
- Rates depend on the relationship between the deceased and the beneficiary
- Permanent residency
- Not applicable
- Citizenship
- Not applicable
- Language test
- Not applicable
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- Finnish residence of the deceased or beneficiary, or Finnish-situated assets.
- Finnish inheritance tax has NOT been abolished. Based on the Finance Minister's March 2026 statement, it will not be. The abolition reports trace back to a proposal that was never implemented.
- Finland has NO exit tax in force. A 2022 Ministry of Finance draft, using a 4-of-10-years residence test rather than a 3-year lookback, drew heavy opposition and never became law. No formal withdrawal has been recorded, so treat its status as dormant rather than dead.
- The 2026 threshold rises are modest. EUR 30,000 for inheritance, EUR 7,500 for gifts, on a 3-year rolling basis.
- Finland's top marginal rate on earned income fell to roughly 52% from 2026. The widely quoted ~57% figure is out of date.