Pay the transfer tax
After the purchase, the new owner must submit a transfer tax return and pay the transfer tax. The transfer tax return must be submitted and tax must be paid to the Finnish Tax Administration in the MyTax service. The new owner must submit the transfer tax return and pay tax to the Finnish Tax Administration. If there are several buyers such as spouses, each must submit their own transfer tax return and pay their share of transfer tax.
If you have questions about the transfer tax, please contact the Finnish Tax Administration.
Apply for the registration of property ownership, or the registration of title
Once the transfer tax return has been submitted and the tax paid, the new owner must apply for the registration of property ownership, or the registration of title. This must be done within six months of signing the deed of sale.
You can easily apply for the registration in the NLS E-services. The Asiointiapuri service assistant helps you check which attachments are required. You can apply for the registration of ownership with a single application for all properties covered by the deed of sale or agreement. You can apply for the registration of ownership for yourself and on behalf of others.
Make sure to apply for the registration only after all transfer tax matters are settled – this helps you avoid late filing or late payment fees, which start accruing as soon as the registration application is submitted.
Did you receive the cottage as a gift?
If you receive a cottage as a gift, you must apply for the registration of ownership (title registration) within six months from signing the deed of gift. The deed of gift must be signed in the presence of a public purchase witness, who will forward the document to the NLS. If the transfer of the property is completed through the Property Transaction Service, no separate application is necessary.
You can check the processing status of your application in the NLS E-services.
Check if the property has existing mortgages
A mortgage is a record in the Land Information System that can be used as security for a loan. You can check whether the cottage already has mortgages in place by viewing its certificate of encumbrances.
Typically, the mortgagee is the bank that financed the property purchase. New mortgages may be needed to finance cottage renovations, for example. You can apply for a new mortgage easily in the Property Transaction Service.
If the cottage has unnecessary mortgages, the owner may apply for their extinguishment with the consent of the mortgagee.