Finland's comprehensive income tax database opens to the public Wednesday morning at 8 AM, revealing financial details for over 70,000 individuals who earned more than 120,000 euros last year. The database provides historical income records dating back to 2012, though it excludes anyone under 18 years old according to digital services chief Juho Hämäläinen from the development unit.
Users can search the tax database by name or region and sort information by employment income, capital income, and total earnings. The data comes from Finland's Tax Administration, which raised the disclosure threshold from 100,000 euros to 120,000 euros this year to account for wage level index changes.
This public disclosure system represents a unique feature of Finnish society that remains relatively rare internationally. Only about 23 percent of total national income appears in the public records due to various exemptions and deductions. The database shows taxable income after deductions but excludes tax-free benefits like child allowances, certain dividends, and interest income subject to separate taxation.
Media company leadership describes the tax database as a fine example of societal transparency. Journalistic director Pekka Mervola notes that public tax information enables discussions about income and represents a positive aspect of open democracy. The data reveals patterns in income distribution, business profitability, tax burden allocation, and economic influence across Finnish society.
Controller Aki Savolainen from the Tax Administration explains that deductions primarily account for the gap between actual earnings and publicly visible income. For capital income, the difference stems from tax-free portions, various deductions, and loss write-offs. The deduction amounts themselves remain confidential, preventing direct calculation of specific salaries from the public data.
Last year's records showed 950 taxpayers with income exceeding one million euros from employment alone, and 1,208 individuals when combining employment and capital income. The proportion of missing income data has remained relatively stable for the past decade according to tax authorities.
Finland's approach to tax transparency reflects the Nordic model of open governance while raising questions about privacy versus public interest. The system allows citizens to examine income patterns and economic power structures but excludes substantial portions of national wealth from public view. This balance between transparency and privacy continues to define Finland's unique position in global tax disclosure practices.