Opening a company in Finland: locals, foreigners, freelancers and digital nomads

At a glance: Oy with no minimum capital, PRH/YTJ online in about a week for 240 to 380 euros, no notary, corporate tax 20 percent (18 proposed for 2027), VAT 25.5 percent from 20,000 euros, compulsory YEL pension for the self-employed, no nomad visa. Legal forms. Private trader (toiminimi, yksityinen elinkeinonharjoittaja). Oy (osakeyhtio): no minimum share capital since 2019; any subscribed capital is paid before registration. Oyj (public): 80,000 euros. Registration. One start-up notification on ytj.fi reaches the Trade Register and the Tax Administration and returns the Business ID; companies must file online since 2026. Fees 240 euros online (380 on paper) for an Oy, 60 to 115 for a private trader; PRH processes online filings in about a week. No notary. Banks need strong identification and often a Finland-resident signatory; expect weeks for non-resident founders. Taxes 2026. Corporate tax 20 percent; a September 2026 government bill proposes 18 percent from 2027 and 25-year loss carry-forward. Dividends 30 percent withholding for non-resident individuals, 20 for foreign companies, zero for EU parents. VAT 25.5 percent (13.5 and 10 reduced); registration from 20,000 euros a year. Earned income is taxed up to about 52 percent marginal; capital income 30 percent, 34 above 30,000 euros. Freelancers and the self-employed. Private traders file the same YTJ notification; "light entrepreneurs" invoice through a service without a Business ID. No flat-rate regime. YEL pension insurance is compulsory once self-employment lasts four months and YEL income reaches 9,423.09 euros a year: 24.4 percent of confirmed YEL income (22 percent discount for the first 48 months); YEL income also sets sickness and parental benefits. Unemployment fund membership is voluntary. Foreigners. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens register their right of residence with Migri after three months. Non-EU founders: entrepreneur residence permit (business registered in Finland, profitability assessed by the ELY Centre, means of support from the business, first permit one year, extensions up to four, fee 750 euros online), the start-up entrepreneur permit (Business Finland eligibility statement, innovative and scalable, two years, fee 650 euros, two-week fast track), or the self-employed person permit for sole traders (450 euros). The managing director and at least one board member must live in the EEA unless PRH grants an exemption; otherwise a Finland-resident person for service of documents is registered. 100 percent foreign ownership allowed; a Finnish domicile and address required. Branch of a foreign company. Register a sivuliike with the Trade Register via YTJ (home register extract, articles, decision and representative, translations, 380 euros); companies from outside the EEA need a PRH permit and a Finland-resident representative. Taxed as a permanent establishment at 20 percent, parent's statements filed yearly. An Oy subsidiary with zero capital is simpler. Digital nomads. No digital nomad visa and no bill in 2026. The entrepreneur or self-employed permits above, or the start-up permit, are the routes; Schengen stays allow no work. Changed recently. VAT 25.5 percent (September 2024), reduced rate 13.5 (2026), threshold 20,000 euros (2025); mandatory online Trade Register filings (2026); 300 euro negligence fee for missing beneficial-owner filings; YEL 2026 limits; Migri 2026 fee schedule; corporate tax cut bill for 2027. Figures checked October 2026 from PRH, Vero, Migri, ETK and Finnish advisers; thresholds change yearly. Confirm with a licensed adviser in Finland before you file.