Transfer tax in Finland 2026 — what does buying a home cost?
Transfer tax is 1,5 per cent on housing company shares and 3 per cent on real estate. Other securities also carry 1,5 per cent. The rates in 2026 are the same ones that have applied to transfers made on or after 12 October 2023.
For an apartment the tax is calculated on the debt free price: the purchase price plus the share of the housing company loan. The first home exemption ended on 1 January 2024, so first time buyers pay the tax too. Below are the calculation, worked examples and the usual pitfalls.
- 1,5 %
- housing company shares
- 3,0 %
- real estate
- 1,5 %
- other securities
- 0 €
- gifts and inheritance
How much is transfer tax in 2026?
The rate depends on what you are buying. Shares in a housing company, a mutual real estate company or another real estate company carry 1,5 per cent. Real estate — a plot, a detached house or a building — carries 3 per cent. Other securities carry 1,5 per cent.
| Object | Tax | Previous level |
|---|---|---|
| Housing company shares (flat or terraced house) | 1,5 % | 2 % |
| Real estate (plot, house, building, summer cottage) | 3,0 % | 4 % |
| Other securities | 1,5 % | 1,6 % |
The rates fell under the 2024 amendment, but they apply retroactively to every transfer made on or after 12 October 2023. What decides is the date the deed of sale was signed, not the payment date and not the date ownership passes.
What sum is the tax calculated on?
For an apartment the base is the debt free price: the purchase price plus the share of the housing company loan. This is the most common miscalculation in a home purchase. The loan share counts even if you pay it off at the moment of purchase — that makes no difference to the tax.
Tax is also payable on a payment made to someone other than the seller when it is a condition of the sale, and on an obligation the buyer takes over where performance benefits the seller.
Worked examples
| Purchase | Tax base | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Flat with no housing company loan | 120 000 € | 1 800 € |
| Flat with a 50 000 € loan share | 200 000 € | 3 000 € |
| Terraced house (housing company shares) | 250 000 € | 3 750 € |
| Detached house with plot (real estate) | 300 000 € | 9 000 € |
| Summer cottage with plot (real estate) | 95 000 € | 2 850 € |
The first home exemption has ended
The transfer tax exemption for first time buyers ended on 1 January 2024. A first time buyer now pays the tax like everyone else. The exemption survives only for deals where the deed of sale was signed by 31 December 2023 and the earlier conditions were met. The signing date decides.
When is no tax payable?
- No transfer tax is payable on property received as a gift or under a will.
- No transfer tax is payable on inherited property.
- None is payable on property received without consideration in a division of assets, where only the divisible assets served as consideration.
- None is payable on shares bought on a stock exchange or acquired in a new share issue.
- None is payable on a right of occupancy home.
Filing and payment
The buyer files the return and pays the tax. Payment needs a personal transfer tax reference, obtained from the OmaVero service. If an estate agent is involved in a housing company share deal, the agent files the return with the Tax Administration and gives you the receipt confirmation.
- Housing company shares without an agent: file and pay within two months of the deal.
- Real estate purchase: the return and payment are always handled yourself in OmaVero.
- A certificate of transfer tax is issued once the tax has been declared and paid — the building manager needs it if the shareholder register is not yet in the residential property information system.
- A limited company always files through OmaVero.
Calculators for this topic
FAQ
How much is Finnish transfer tax in 2026?
Housing company shares carry 1,5 per cent, real estate 3 per cent and other securities 1,5 per cent. These rates have applied to transfers made on or after 12 October 2023.
Is transfer tax payable on the housing company loan share?
Yes. For an apartment the tax is calculated on the debt free price, meaning the purchase price together with the loan share, even if you pay that share off at the time of purchase.
Is a first home still exempt?
No. The exemption ended on 1 January 2024. It now covers only deals where the deed of sale was signed by 31 December 2023.
Who pays the transfer tax?
The buyer. The buyer also files the return, except in a housing company share deal handled through an estate agent, where the agent files it.
Is transfer tax payable on an inheritance or a gift?
No. Property received by inheritance, as a gift or under a will carries no transfer tax. Inheritance tax or gift tax may arise instead.