Important information for covering costs
Tax-free allowances allow you to reduce the costs of your work even before taxation
Palkkaguru.fi advises and guides you in these matters, and provides a concise list of the most important compensations and things to consider.
These allowances are a benefit that helps cover the actual costs of doing the work without having to pay tax on them. In practice, this means more money for you!
The most common tax-free allowances:
1. Reimbursement of travel expenses:
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Kilometer allowances: You can receive mileage compensation for work trips made in your own car. The compensation is usually paid in accordance with the maximum tax-free amount confirmed annually by the Tax Administration. Pay attention that these compensations apply to trips made to the customer or to the place of work, not trips between home and the actual workplace.
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Per diem: The daily allowance is intended to cover reasonable food and other living expenses incurred during the work trip. The amount of daily allowance depends on the duration of the trip and whether it is a domestic or foreign trip.
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Travel tickets and accommodation costs: Commute-related train bus tickets, taxi and accommodation expenses (e.g. hotel accommodation) can be reimbursed tax-free according to the actual expenses.
2. Meal allowance:
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If you cannot eat a meal at your usual place of eating due to a business trip and you are not entitled to daily allowance, you can receive a tax-free meal allowance under certain conditions.
3. Procurement of tools and supplies:
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Although these are not actually paid to you as compensation, through the invoicing service, you can often direct the customer to pay directly for work-related, customer-approved work equipment and supplies purchases (e.g. software licenses, special materials, tool rentals). In this case, these acquisitions do not go through you as wages, and no taxes are withheld from them.
What should be paid particular attention to:
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Detailed documentation: This is absolutely essential! Keep it all receipts, invoices and travel bills carefully. Every expense must be verifiable and linked to the work done. Without appropriate documents, the compensation cannot be paid tax-free.
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The connection between work and travel: All reimbursed expenses and travel must be related immediately and unambiguously to the work done or the assignment. For example, trips between home and your permanent place of work are usually not tax-free travel expenses.
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Instructions from the tax administration: The terms and amounts of tax-free allowances are based on To the decisions issued annually by the Tax Administration. It is important to check these decisions and Palkkaguru will follow them for you. Remember that conditions can change every year.
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Reasonable needs: There must be expenses necessary and reasonable in terms of performing the work. Extra or luxury expenses are not tax-free.
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Service policies: Always check Palkkaguru's detailed instructions and practices for applying for tax-free allowances. Different services may have slightly different ways of processing and requesting this information.
Palkkaguru's experts will be happy to help you make sure that you use tax-free allowances correctly and save money. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
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