The household tax deduction rises to 40%, retroactively for all of 2026

On 13 October 2026 the Finnish Tax Administration announced that the household tax deduction (kotitalousvähennys) rises retroactively from the start of 2026. For work bought from a company you can now deduct 40% of the labour share instead of 35%, and the cap rises from €1,600 to €2,100 per person. The excess stays at €150. The same rules apply in 2027.

What it means for a chef at home

When you book a private chef at home, the labour share of the invoice is household work. I itemise labour and ingredients separately on the invoice, and labour is typically about 60–70% of the total. The deduction is calculated on that share, now at 40%.

Ingredients, wine and travel don’t qualify. That hasn’t changed.

The raise covers dinners that have already happened

Retroactivity is the useful part. If you paid for a chef evening at any point in 2026, your deduction is calculated with the new figures, even if the dinner was back in the spring. The raised rules are applied when your taxes are assessed.

How to get the benefit

Two routes:

1. Right away: order a new tax card in MyTax (OmaVero) and report the deduction there. Your withholding drops for the rest of the year.
2. Later: add the deduction to your pre-completed tax return in spring 2027. It comes back as a tax refund or a smaller back tax.

You need the labour share and the payment date from the invoice. If you’ve lost the invoice, ask and I’ll send a copy.

Spouses can share the deduction

The cap and the excess are per person. If your household deductions for the year exceed what fits under one person’s cap, spouses can split them.

The full terms and a calculator are at vero.fi. I don’t estimate the euro amount for you, because it depends on your other household-deduction claims in the same year. The basics are collected on the household tax deduction page.

Ask for a quote and I’ll itemise the labour share on the invoice for you.