Reporting data to the Incomes Register: monetary wages and items deducted from wages

This instruction describes

• the wage concept
• two methods of reporting monetary wages to the Incomes Register
• separation of wages and earnings from work in the Incomes Register
• deadlines for reporting monetary wages
• reporting items deductible from wages.

This detailed guidance replaces the earlier guidance that was entitled Reporting data to the Incomes Register: monetary wages and items deducted from wages.

The following additions and changes have been made to the instructions:

• Added two income types in which the grounds for social insurance contributions can vary to the list in Section 1.3. Also added an example to the section on the reporting of compensation paid for additional days off supplementing the annual leave.
• Section 1.4 was modified to include the effects on the reporting deadlines of the changes coming into effect in 2020.
• Added instructions on submitting the report as a whole in Section 2.

Otherwise the detailed guidance is similar in outline to the earlier guidance.

The employer’s and employee’s social insurance contributions mentioned in the examples have been calculated using the rates for 2020.

1 Reporting monetary wages

1.1 Wage concept

Wages are remuneration paid or agreed to be paid for work in an employment relationship (contractual or public-sector employment), or under a director’s agreement. Under the public sector pensions act (julkisten alojen eläkelaki 81/2016), assignments, positions of trust and the tasks of carers and family carers are regarded as employment relationships subject to specified conditions. Accident and occupational disease insurance legislation also includes insurance provisions for accidents and occupational diseases concerning certain groups, according to which the groups in question may be insured in the same way as employees, but this does not make individuals belonging to these groups employees.

Because concepts of income often differ in the legislation applied by the Incomes Register data users, the concept of 'wages' is not identical for all data users. Some data users use the term ‘earnings from work’ for wages. The concept of income is broader for some data users than for others.

• From the perspective of tax legislation, wage is a broader concept than, for example, earnings from work, which forms the basis of earnings-related pension or unemployment insurance. In taxation, remuneration paid for work other than that performed in an employment relationship can be regarded as wages.
• Differences may also arise due to some data users assessing income based on the payment date, and some based on the earnings date.

For the above-mentioned reasons, the terms ‘wages’ and ‘earnings from work’ cannot serve as synonyms in all contexts. More detailed guidance on the interpretation of the wage concept is available on the websites of the Tax Administration, insurance companies and the Employment Fund, or by contacting the bodies in question directly.

1.2 Two methods of reporting monetary wages

The earnings payment report submitted to the Incomes Register replaces the various reports previously submitted to the data users. Because data users have differing concepts of income, it is recommended that the payer reports wages in an itemised breakdown (reporting method 2). Wages must, however, be reported at least as a total amount (reporting method 1).

Itemised reporting of monetary wages (reporting method 2)

• The payer uses specific, complementary income types. With this reporting method, the wage is generated from the reported earnings, and the payer does not have to calculate the wage by adding up earnings.
• When the data is reported with the complementary income types (36), all parties using the data stored in the Incomes Register can use it in their operations.
• Reporting the data by means of reporting method 2 is subject to the same deadlines as mandatory data.

Reporting of monetary wages as a total amount (reporting method 1)

• The payer reports the monetary wages as a total amount. This information corresponds to the payment types ‘wages for primary job’ and ‘wages for secondary job’ in the annual returns previously submitted to the Tax Administration.
• If the wages are reported as a total amount, some data users may have to request more detailed information, since a lower level of detail is not sufficient for all users. For example, Kela needs more detailed information on monetary wages when granting sickness allowances or parental allowances.

Reporting method 1 and reporting method 2 cannot be used simultaneously in the same report. However, you are free to change reporting methods between reports.

See below for examples of reporting data. The examples do not present all mandatory data, only the data necessary for processing the matter.  

Example 1.

Mandatory minimum level:		Alternative method:
Reporting method 1	EUR	Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	2785.00	201 Time-rate pay	2100.00
		203 Bonus pay	500.00
		207 Evening shift allowance	185.00

When reporting method 2 is used, the income earner’s wages comprise the total amount of the reported income types. The payer does not need to give the total amount of the reported income types.

1.3 Separating earnings from work and wages in a report

The above describes how the concept of income is wider for some data users than for others. The terms used for income also differ: some use ‘earnings from work’ and others ‘wages’. With the Income Register’s earnings payment report, payers can use a single report to notify various social insurers of the income on which contributions are based, even if the income amounts differ.

The reporting method 1 for monetary wages (income type Total wages (101)) includes the total of wages and earnings from work subject to the various social insurance contributions of employers and employees (earnings-related pension, health, unemployment and accident and occupational disease insurance contributions).

• If some part of the payment made is not remuneration paid for work and thus not the grounds for one of the above-mentioned social insurance contributions, notification that the income is not subject to the insurance contribution in question is added to the Total wages income type, using the Insurance information type data group.
• In addition, the payer must separately report the part of the income that constitutes the grounds for the social insurance contribution in question with the separate income subtypes related to reporting method 1:
  • Total wages subject to social insurance contributions (103)
  • Total wages subject to earnings-related pension insurance contribution (102)
  • Total wages subject to health insurance contribution (104)
  • Total wages subject to unemployment insurance contribution (105)
  • Total wages subject to accident and occupational disease insurance contribution (106)

If none of the reported income is subject to social insurance contributions, the payer uses the Insurance information type data to report that the amount is not subject to social insurance contributions. In such a case, the payer does not need to confirm data, using income subtypes, from all of the social insurance contributions.

Example 2.

Mandatory minimum level:		Alternative method:
Reporting method 1	EUR	Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	1000.00	202 Initiative fee	1000.00
Insurance information type: Subject to social insurance contributions Grounds for insurance contribution: No		Insurance information type: Subject to social insurance contributions Grounds for insurance contribution: No

Example 3.

Mandatory minimum level:		Alternative method:
Reporting method 1	EUR	Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	600.00	215 Compensation for acting in a position of trust	600.00
Insurance information type: Subject to unemployment insurance contribution Grounds for insurance contribution: No		Insurance information type: Subject to earnings-related pension insurance contribution Grounds for insurance contribution: Yes
Insurance information type: Subject to accident and occupational disease insurance contribution Grounds for insurance contribution: No

By default, Compensation for acting in a position of trust income type as per reporting method 2 is not subject to earnings-related pension, unemployment or accident and occupational disease insurance contributions. However, the income type is subject to a health insurance contribution. Based on this information, the health insurance contribution and earnings-related pension insurance contribution are collected from the payment, but not the unemployment insurance contribution or the accident and occupational disease insurance contribution. When the payer uses the Compensation for acting in a position of trust income type, the default payments do not need to be confirmed.

When using reporting method 1, the income is subject to social insurance contributions by default. In such a case, when reporting the compensation for acting in a position of trust, the payer must use the Insurance information type data to confirm that the income is not subject to unemployment or accident and occupational disease insurance contributions. 

If the payment made is partially the inverse of the default value, separate data on the income type must be submitted for payments that have and those that do not have the default value.

Example 4.

Mandatory minimum level:		Alternative method:
Reporting method 1	EUR	Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	1700.00	219 Partial pay during sick leave	1500.00
Insurance information type: Subject to social insurance contributions Grounds for insurance contribution: No		219 Partial pay during sick leave	200.00
103 Total wages subject to social insurance contributions	1500.00	Insurance information type: Subject to social insurance contributions Grounds for insurance contribution: No

Based on the data submitted, social insurance contributions are paid on EUR 1,500, but not on the separately reported EUR 200, for which separate “Insurance information type – No” data has been included. The amount of the income earner’s taxable wages is EUR 1,700.

Example 5.

Mandatory minimum level:		Alternative method:
Reporting method 1	EUR	Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	5000.00	201 Time-rate pay	4700.00
Insurance information type:           Subject to social insurance contributions: Grounds for insurance contribution: No		217 Waiting time compensation	300.00
103 Total wages subject to social insurance contributions	4700.00

It should also be noted, for example, that the public sector pensions act (julkisten alojen eläkelaki 81/2016) differs, in terms of earnings-related pension insurance, from the private sector’s employees pensions act in relation to matters such as meeting fees, lecture fees and compensation for acting in positions of trust.

By default, the complementary income types in reporting method 2 for wages contain data on whether or not the income type is subject to social insurance contributions. The default value for some income types can be changed, if necessary. Information on income types and their default values is available on the page Wage income types.

Depending on the situation, the grounds for social insurance contributions may differ for the same payer in regard of the following income types:

• initiative fee (202)
• compensation for membership of a governing body (308)
• monetary gift for employees (310)
• kilometre allowance (taxable) (209)
• meeting fee (210)
• lecture fee (214)
• compensation for acting in a position of trust (215)
• other taxable benefit for employees (315)
• other fringe benefit (317)
• reimbursement collected for other fringe benefits (407)
• total wages (101)
• compensation for employee invention (326)
• stock options and grants (320)
• partial pay during sick leave (219)
• share issue for employees (226)
• wages for insurance purposes (352)
• profit-sharing bonus (233) and
• deduction before withholding (419)

Example 6.

New report
INCOME TYPE DETAILS	EUR
315 Other taxable benefit for employees	500.00
Type of insurance information: Subject to health insurance contribution Grounds for insurance contribution: Yes
402 Withholding tax (20%)	100.00

Data on the compensation for additional days supplementing the annual leave is submitted when the compensation is paid. While the person is on holiday, the amount of wages paid to the person is reported to the Incomes Register in the normal manner. Report Annual leave as the reason code for the absence.

The Insurance information type data related to the above-mentioned income types is also described in the instructions Reporting data to the Incomes Register: insurance-related data.

1.4 Deadlines for reporting data

Payment date and deadlines for reporting

1. Monetary payments:

• The data must be reported to the Incomes Register no later than on the fifth calendar day after the payment date.
• The payment date is the date on which the payment is available for use by the income earner, i.e. the payday.
• Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays must be counted when calculating the five calendar days after the payment date, but if the report’s due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or other holiday, the data can be reported on the following banking day (Act on Calculation of Prescribed Time Limits, section 5).
• Private individuals and death estates must report the data monthly no later than by the fifth day of the month following the payment day. If the individual or death estate is registered in the Employer Register as referred to in section 31 of the tax prepayment act (ennakkoperintälaki 1118/1996) the data must, however, be reported by the fifth calendar day after the payment date.
• Tax-exempt reimbursements of expenses (daily allowances, meal allowances and kilometre allowances) can be reported monthly, no later than on the fifth day of the month following the payment date.
• Advance pay paid (Employment Contracts Act 55/2001) can be reported by the same deadline as that for the wages paid later during the same pay period, as long as the wages are paid during the same calendar month. This regulation also applies to wages paid during the same calendar month to a shareholder in a limited liability company, a partner in a general partnership or limited partnership, or a person acting in a leading position, who is not considered to be in an employment relationship with the payer due to their position, such as the Managing Director of a limited liability company or a co-operative.
• One-off payments of no more than EUR 200 made by a registered association can be reported monthly, no later than on the fifth day of the month following the payment date.

2. Fringe benefits:

• If an income earner is only granted a fringe benefit, it is reported monthly, no later than on the fifth day of the next calendar month.
• If monetary payments are also made to the income earner at the same time, the fringe benefit can still be reported no later than on the fifth day of the next calendar month. Alternatively, the fringe benefit can be reported together with the monetary wages for the same month, no later than on the fifth calendar day after the date of payment.
• If monetary wages are also paid for the fringe benefit's accrual month during the next calendar month, the fringe benefit can also be reported as income for the calendar month following its accrual month. The report must then be reported no later than on the fifth day of the calendar month following the month as the income for which the fringe benefit was reported.
  • Example 7: Wages accrued during December are paid on 10 January the next year. The payer can report the fringe benefit as income for December, separately from the December wages, no later than on 5 January. Alternatively, the payer can report the fringe benefit as income for January, together with the monetary wages, no later than on 15 January, or separately no later than on 5 February.

3. Non-monetary payments and benefits other than fringe benefits

• If an income earner is only granted a benefit, it is reported monthly, no later than on the fifth day of the next calendar month.
• If monetary payments are made to the income earner at the same time, all benefits and payments must be reported no later than on the fifth day after the payment date.
• Non-monetary payments and benefits include employee stock options, stock options and grants, and share issues for employees granted to the income earner.

The deadlines concern mandatory data, such as wage income and fees (act on the income information system (laki tulotietojärjestelmästä 53/2018), sections 6 and 8).

The deadlines for reporting the data when the report concerns wages for insurance purposes, or wages paid by a substitute payer, are shown on the website Deadlines for reporting.

Reporting data in advance

Data can also be submitted to the Incomes Register before the date of payment, for example directly from the payroll run. Data can be reported no earlier than 45 days before the date of payment.

Data on the termination of employment can be reported in advance. Reporting is described in separate instructions Reporting data to the Incomes Register: employment relationship data and Reporting data to the Incomes Register: absence data.

Data submitted electronically and in paper format

The five-day deadline for monetary payments applies to data submitted electronically. The deadline for reports submitted in paper format is 8 calendar days instead of the usual 5. Data can be submitted in paper format only in special circumstances; for example, if filing an electronic report is impossible for an individual, estate, casual employer or foreign national due to technical obstacles.

2 Reporting items deductible from wages

Several income types can be reported for one income earner on the same report. Even if several income types are reported, items deducted from wages can be reported as a total sum for all income types.

In addition to monetary wages, certain payments must be reported separately, under their own income types, if the payments in question are made. Income types to be reported separately include fringe benefits and tax-free reimbursements of expenses. The total amount of the payment made to the income earner consists of wages based on reporting method 1 or reporting method 2, AND separately reported income items AND items deducted from the income.

The reporting of income types to be separately reported, such as fringe benefits and reimbursements of expenses, is described in more detail in the instructions Reporting data to the Incomes Register: fringe benefits and reimbursements of expenses and Reporting data to the Incomes Register: rewarding employees, payments made to an entrepreneur and other special circumstances.

The data on items deductible from wages must be submitted in connection with reporting method 1 (total wages) and reporting method 2 (complementary income types), and in connection with separately reported income types (1 and 2) in the same report. The data for a single payment transaction must be reported to the Incomes Register as a whole. In addition to the income paid, the items deducted from the income and the necessary income earner and payer details are reported at the same time. The payment, deducted items and additional income earner and payer details cannot be divided into different reports. When all data related to a payment is reported as a whole, the data users are able to correctly get the data they require and no further information needs to be requested from the payer. In certain exceptional situations, the Incomes Register directs the user to use two separate reports so that the data users can correctly get the data they require in these situations as well. All data related to the payment transaction, such as the additional income earner and payer details, must then be submitted on both reports.

Items deductible from wages consist of

• compensation collected for car benefit (401)
• withholding tax (402)
• elected official fee (403)
• tax at source (404)
• tax at source deduction (405)
• reimbursement collected for other fringe benefits (407)
• other item deductible from net wage or salary (408)
• employer-paid premium for collective additional pension insurance, employee’s contribution (411)
• employee’s health insurance contribution (412)
• employee’s pension insurance contribution (413)
• employee’s unemployment insurance contribution (414)
• reimbursement for employer-subsidised commuter ticket (415)
• tax paid abroad (416)
• distraint (417)
• voluntary individual pension insurance premium (418)
• deduction before withholding (419).

Example 8.

MANDATORY MINIMUM LEVEL:			ALTERNATIVE METHOD:
Reporting method 1	EUR		Reporting method 2	EUR
101 Total wages	3000.00		201 Time-rate pay	2700.00
			235 Overtime compensation	300.00
SEPARATELY REPORTED INCOME TYPES:
Alternative method 1		EUR	Alternative method 2		EUR
317 Other fringe benefit		650.00	301 Accommodation benefit		650.00
Benefit type: accommodation benefit
402 Withholding tax		1460.00	402 Withholding tax		1460.00
413 Employee’s pension insurance contribution		260.97	413 Employee’s pension insurance contribution		260.97
414 Employee’s unemployment insurance contribution		45.62	414 Employee’s unemployment insurance contribution		45.62
409 Net wage or salary		1883.76	409 Net wage or salary		1883.76
406 Wages paid		1233.41	406 Wages paid		1233.41

If the income earner is insured under the public sector pensions act (julkisten alojen eläkelaki 81/2016), only income types reported on the basis of the same registration can be reported on one earnings payment report. Further information on employment relationship registration is available in the instructions Reporting data to the Incomes Register: employment relationship data