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Pension and taxes: you need a separate tax card for pension income

The taxation of pension income differs from the taxation of wage income. When you start receiving pension income, you will need a separate tax card on pensions. The tax rate on pensions can be higher than the tax rate applied to wages of the same amount. The tax rate on pensions depends on your pension income, any other income and deductions. 

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Request a tax card at MyTax

Taxation and tax rate

Examples of pension income include old-age pensions, additional pensions, partial early old-age pensions (former part-time pensions), rehabilitation subsidies and disability pensions.

The taxation of pension income differs from the taxation of wage income: even if the pension and wages are equal in amount, they qualify for different deductions and are subject to different social insurance contributions. Because of this, the tax rate on pensions can be higher than the tax rate applied to wages of the same amount.

The tax rate on pensions depends on your pension income, any other income and deductions. 

Tax card: when you start receiving a pension

When you start receiving pension income, such as an early pension or an old-age pension, you will need a separate tax card on pensions.

  • Request a tax card in MyTax

    When you have received your final pension decision, request a tax card for pensions in MyTax. You can find the details needed for requesting a tax card in the pension decision. After you have requested a tax card, we will send the tax card electronically directly to your pension provider. If you do not have a tax card for pensions, the tax withheld on your pension is 40%.

    In some situations, the pension provider submits the details of the pension decision directly to the Tax Administration. If so, then you do not need to request a tax card. Instead, you will be sent a proposal regarding the tax rate applicable to your pension.

    You have received a proposal for a tax card for pensions in MyTax and want to check and accept it.

  • Check the details every year

    After you have requested a tax card for pensions once, the Tax Administration will automatically send information on your valid tax rate to your pension provider annually. This means that you do not need to request a new tax card every year. However, request a new tax card if you have received pension income for the first time in November or December. In such a case, we will not be able to take your pension details automatically into account in the tax card for the following year. 

    Every year, you will receive a prepayment decision in MyTax and can see your tax card details there. Check the details to make sure that your pension provider has received information on the tax rate applied to your pension. If you notice that your pension has not been taken into account, request a new tax card.

  • You can find the prepayment decision in MyTax: Go to the Communication tab. Under Decisions and letters, click Open decisions and letters.

Voluntary pension insurance policy

Pensions are usually taxed as earned income. However, a pension may be regarded as capital income if you receive it on the basis of a voluntary individual pension insurance policy or a long-term savings contract. If your pension is taxed as capital income, you do not need a tax card: the pension provider automatically withholds 30% tax on such pensions. If a pension based on an individual pension insurance policy is taxed as earned income, you will need a tax card for pensions.

If your pension changes

Request a new tax card if you start receiving a new pension or if your early pension turns into an old-age pension. Edit your tax card by submitting the end date of the early pension, the pension income you have received and the amount of tax withheld. Then add the old-age pension as a new pension.

Retired and working: when you also receive other than pension income

When you receive other income in addition to a pension, such as wages or meeting fees, you will need two tax cards: one for pensions and the other for wages. If you do not have a tax card for wages, your wages and fees are subject to 60% tax.

Instructions: How to request in MyTax

Getting started

The request has 6 stages. 

Stage 1: Background

Check that the information is correct.

Click Next to proceed to the next stage.

Stage 2: Pre-completed income and deductions

​In this stage, you can see the details on which your current tax card is based. Check the information and make changes, if necessary.

Stage 3: Other income

  • Go to Pensions and select “Yes”.
  • Click Add new pension. If you receive multiple pensions, fill in a separate specification for each pension.
  • Look up the following details from the pension decision and enter them on the tax card request:
    • Select the pension provider’s name from the list. Select the type of pension, such as an old-age pension. 
    • Start date and end date in the current year:
    • As the start date of the pension, enter the date on which the pension was paid for the first time this year.
    • If the pension started before 2025, enter the first day of the year as the start date, i.e. 1 January 2025.
    • If your pension income includes retroactive payments of statutory pensions from the previous year, give a date from the previous year as the start date.
    • MyTax enters the last day of the year as the end date by default. If the pension payments end during the year, change the end date to the date of this year when the final payment will be made. MyTax will automatically set the last day of the month as the date.
    • Is the pension paid out on a monthly basis? MyTax suggests “Yes” by default. In that case, enter the amount of pension income in euros per month yourself. MyTax calculates the entire year’s amount automatically according to the time period you have given.
    • Select “No” if, for example, your pension income includes retroactive payments of statutory pensions from the previous year. In that case, report the pension you have received during the entire year, including the pension for the previous year, in the section Amount for the entire year (gross).
  • Pension received and withholdings: If you are requesting a new tax card in the middle of the year, also report the following:
    • amount of pension income you have received so far this year  
    • tax withheld on the pension from January up until the current day, i.e. how much tax you have paid on your pension so far during the year.
    • Also report any pensions you have received for the previous year if they have been paid in the current year.
  • Periodisation of retroactive pension: You have the right to request the periodisation of your pension income if you have received retroactive pension payments from previous years for at least 3 months and if the amount of the retroactive payments is at least €500 in total. Select “Yes”. Give the start and end date of the period and enter the total amount of retroactive pension payments for each period. 
  • Finally, click “OK”.

Stage 4: Other deductions

  • Report your deductions, if any. For example, if you want to file tax credit for household expenses, select “Yes” at “Tax credit for household expenses”.
  • If you have received wage income earlier this year, check or report any deductions concerning that income, such as commuting expenses, trade-union membership fees, unemployment fund contributions, and expenses for the production of income.

Stage 5: Delivery method

  • Check the tax card’s period of validity and delivery method.
  • MyTax suggests a date when the tax card will enter into effect. Check that this date matches the start date of pension stated on your pension decision.

The Tax Administration sends your tax card information directly to your pension provider.

Select whether you want your tax card to be delivered

    • only electronically to MyTax
    • to MyTax and on paper by post.

Stage 6: Preview and send ‑ Your tax card is ready 

In the “Preview and send” stage, you can see the details on which your tax card is based, as well as your tax rate (also known as the withholding rate) indicated in the tax card.

  • Check that the information is correct. Click “Edit” or “Previous” to make corrections.
  • If you wish to continue filling in the details later, select “Save as unfinished”. Data saved as unfinished will be stored for a month. The Tax Administration will not process the information before you have submitted it.
  • Once all the details are correct, select “Submit”. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.

If the tax card is processed by a tax official

If your tax card request is processed by a tax official, the processing time is 1 to 3 days.

If you have activated Suomi.fi messages, you will receive a message once your tax card in ready. If you have not activated Suomi.fi messages, you will receive your tax card by post. You can always find your tax card in MyTax, where you can save or print it

Getting started

The request has 6 stages. 

Stage 1: Background

Check that the information is correct.

Click Next to proceed to the next stage.

Stage 2: Pre-completed income and deductions

​In this stage, you can see the details on which your current tax card is based. Check the information and make changes, if necessary.

  • If your pension does not change, include in the tax card request only details related to wages, such as income and deductions.
  • If your pension amount has changed or you start receiving a new pension, update the pension details. This way you will automatically receive a new tax card for both income types with the same tax rate.
  • Enter your wage income details in the “Other income” stage.

Stage 3: Other income

Go to Pay and fringe benefits. 

  • Select whether you will report the details on the wages paid to you and the tax withheld on them so far, or use the details in the Incomes Register. If you are reporting the details yourself, enter the pay you have received since the start of the year and the tax that has been withheld on it. Do not include social benefits, study grants or pay received from abroad, because they are reported later in their own section.
  • Next, enter an estimate of how much pay you will receive. You can estimate your pay for the entire year (12 months).

Instructions for estimating your pay.

Stage 4: Other deductions

  • Report your deductions, if any. For example, if you want to file tax credit for household expenses, select “Yes” at “Tax credit for household expenses”.
  • If you have received wage income earlier this year, check or report any deductions concerning that income, such as commuting expenses, trade-union membership fees, unemployment fund contributions, and expenses for the production of income.

Stage 5: Delivery method

  • Check the tax card’s period of validity and delivery method.
  • MyTax suggests a date when the tax card will enter into effect. 

Select whether you want your tax card to be delivered

    • only electronically to MyTax, or
    • to MyTax and on paper by post.

Stage 6: Preview and send ‑ Your tax card is ready 

In the “Preview and send” stage, you can see the details on which your tax card is based, as well as your tax rate (also known as the withholding rate) indicated in the tax card.

  • Check that the information is correct. Click “Edit” or “Previous” to make corrections.
  • If you wish to continue filling in the details later, select “Save as unfinished”. Data saved as unfinished will be stored for a month. The Tax Administration will not process the information before you have submitted it.
  • Once all the details are correct, select “Submit”. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.

If the tax card is processed by a tax official

If your tax card request is processed by a tax official, the processing time is 1 to 3 days.

If you have activated Suomi.fi messages, you will receive a message once your tax card in ready. If you have not activated Suomi.fi messages, you will receive your tax card by post. You can always find your tax card in MyTax, where you can save or print it

 

If the Tax Administration has sent you a suggestion for a tax card for pension via MyTax, follow these instructions. Typically, in situations where a pension provider has delivered information to the Tax Administration concerning a retired person’s pension , we send the retired person a suggestion for a tax card.

  1. Go to Tax card and prepayments 2025 in MyTax and click Tax cards and prepayments.
  2. Move on to Proposal for a new tax card for pension, and select Check proposal.
    Check all the information recorded at the different stages in the request form for a tax card in MyTax. If you find any mistakes, make corrections as necessary.
  3. When you arrive at the Preview and send stage, click Submit.

The Tax Administration sends your tax card information directly to your pension provider. A copy of your tax card is always available in MyTax

You have pension income from abroad or live abroad

See the instructions if

You live in Finland but receive a pension from another country

You live abroad but receive a pension from Finland


Page last updated 5/21/2025