Revenue and taxes The shift to teleworking is reflected in a drastic increase in office reductions;

Last year more than four times more workroom reductions were applied for than in 2019, according to income tax statistics published by the Tax Administration.

While in 2019 about 100,000 employees applied for a reduction in the number of employees, in 2020 there were a total of about 403,000 applicants.

At the same time, the average reduction in workrooms also increased. An average reduction of EUR 737 per employee was applied for in the standard workroom reduction in 2019, and in 2020 the corresponding amount was already EUR 866.

According to actual costs, the reduction in office space claimed increased from an average of EUR 867 to EUR 1 169.

The total amount of office reductions applied for rose from EUR 73 million to EUR 349 ​​million.

What the higher the income the employee had, the more likely he was also to apply for a reduction in office space.

In 2020, more than 36 per cent applied for a reduction of more than 60,000 euros, while the corresponding figure for those earning 30,000–35,000 euros was only 8.7 per cent.

“The higher the income, the higher the share of the income class applying for a workroom reduction. It seems that in high-paid expert positions, the opportunity to work remotely was better in the interest year than for low-income earners, ”Chief Inspector of the Tax Administration Matti Luokkanen says.

Class according to the wage earners’ interest in the reduction in workrooms was expected due to the coronavirus situation.

However, according to him, it would have been possible for even more than the final amount to have applied for the reduction.

“We know from other news reports that there have been even more teleworkers. So there are definitely some people who could have applied for it, but for some reason have not done so, ”Luokkanen says.

According to him, there may be several reasons for not applying. Many may find that the workroom reduction sought is so small that it is not considered necessary to apply separately.

Many, on the other hand, may not be aware that they are entitled to a reduction in their office space. Despite the fact that the reduction in workrooms has gained an exceptional amount of attention this year, according to Luokkanen.

“The tax administration has been actively communicating about this, in addition to which there has been a lot of news in the media. Those who have applied for a reduction have certainly also discussed the issue with each other, ”Luokkanen sums up.

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Workplace reductions were by far the most sought after in large cities and their frameworks.

Specially a reduction in office space was applied for in Kauniainen. In proportion to the population of the municipality, almost 39 per cent of wage earners applied for it. Immediately after Kauniainen are Espoo with almost 34 per cent and Helsinki with just over 30 per cent.

At the tail end of the applicants are the employees of the municipalities of Sottunga, Vårdö and Geta in the Åland Islands.

In proportion to the size of the age group, employees aged 40–49 applied for the largest reduction in their work space, of which about 22 per cent applied for it.

According to the class, the regional distribution of those applying for the reduction was quite expected. Workplace reductions were clearly most sought after in large cities and their surrounding municipalities, especially in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and around Tampere.

“That is, in places where many work in expert positions where teleworking has been possible.”

In the metropolitan area The number of applicants for a reduction in office space was remarkably high, especially in Uusmäki, Espoo, and Jätkäsaari, Helsinki.

Correspondingly, in the Tax Village in Vantaa, the least number of office reductions were made in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Use the map below to check the status of your own zip code. The map only takes into account those who have applied for a reduction in their workroom and who have worked remotely for more than half of the total number of working days.

Tax Administration Luokkanen believes that the popularity of workplace reductions will continue along the 2020 line in the tax year 2021 as well.

“Those customers who have found the deduction now will certainly continue to apply for it.”

The view that the popularity of teleworking will continue to be popular is also supported by the continuing popularity of teleworking. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions Eurofound’s June survey According to him, the majority of Finns would like to continue working, at least in part, even after the pandemic.

The survey of the Business Delegation (Eva) published last month showed that the majority of Finns are in favor of continuing teleworking, which has become more common after the coronary pandemic, even after the telework recommendation has expired. At the time, only four per cent of those who worked mainly remotely during the pandemic were in favor of a full return to work.