The Tax Administration plans to boost its efforts on monitoring income earned via online platforms this year.
The authority explained that it would place added focus on taxes for income people earned as they influence, tweet, blog and create other online content, including product sponsorships and discounts. The authority said a significant proportion of such income is not being declared.
"According to our data, for example, as many as 70 percent of those who received income through the OnlyFans platform in 2021 did not declare it," Tax Administration risk officer, Kari Torssonen, said in an agency press release.
The heightened monitoring will also include those who have received unsolicited or 'surprise' gifts, with the exception of gifts of lesser value, like branded pens, shirts or scarves.
"An ordinary promotional gift can be worth up to 50 euros. It could also be worth more if the gift has the logo of the gift-giver prominently displayed, for example, in which case the product cannot be easily sold onward," leading tax expert Kirsi Tuunala, said in the release.
At the same time, the authority noted that social media influencers and other types of online content producers can deduct production-related expenses from their taxes.
Lobby group Marketing Finland has criticized the authority's tightened grip on social media influencers' income, namely the different approach to gifts received by traditional journalists such as free entry to ticketed events.
