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From 16 February, the filing of 2025 income tax returns begins. As usual, a tax return must be filed if, during the year, you received income on which Estonian income tax was not withheld, or if you wish to claim tax reliefs.

The “tax hump” that has been in place for eight years will be abolished, and starting from 1 January 2026 a uniform basic tax exemption of €700 per month (€8,400 per year) will apply regardless of a person’s income level. For those of retirement age, a slightly higher exemption will continue to apply—€9,312 per year.

The Defense Tax Act, adopted at the end of last year and widely debated due to the proposed taxation of corporate profits, has been repealed. Instead, permanently increased tax rates will now apply to value-added tax (VAT), income tax, and business income tax.

On December 11 2024, the Parliament of Estonia passed the Defence Tax Act, which will apply to individuals, companies, and non-residents earning taxable income in Estonia.

Starting 1 January 2024, a global minimum tax obligation is in effect for large multinational enterprise groups with consolidated revenue of more than 750 million euros in European Union member states and many third countries (such as UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Singapore etc.)

On 25 September 2024, the Estonian government submitted a draft law on the defense tax to the Parliament, which introduces a temporary defense tax consisting of three components, including a 2% tax on corporate profits. Most companies will have to pay the defense tax for the first time on 10 September 2026.

From January 1st, 2023, chapter 24 of the Tax Information Exchange Act entered into force, according to which platform operators must provide information about the sellers and service providers using the platform and the income earned by them to the Tax and Customs Board.

If an employer gives an employee a share in the employer’s business or a company in the same group as the employer’s business at a discounted price or for free, this constitutes a fringe benefit.

On 22 December 2021, the European Commission introduced a draft of a minimum tax directive designed to impose on large corporations an obligation to pay at least 15% income tax on profit. The establishment of a minimum tax limits tax competition between countries and is one of the international measures for preventing tax avoidance.

Starting 15 February, personal income tax returns can be filed; for many people, this process is associated with receiving tax refunds. A tax return must also be filed if a person has earned income on which income tax is not withheld (such as earnings from abroad, capital gains from alienation of property) or withholding has not occurred. A tax return must also be filed if the person desires to eliminate double taxation – i.e., if the same income was taxed abroad as well as in Estonia.

As of 1 July 2021, in addition to the term “low-tax territory”, the term “non-cooperative jurisdiction” has appeared in the Income Tax Act. The amendment is related to the European Union's safeguard measures aimed at preventing tax evasion in transactions with companies located in so-called tax havens.

Based on the rules in force until the end of 2020, Estonia was entitled to tax wages of non-residents starting from day one if the entity making the payment was located in Estonia. If the payer was located abroad, , the right of taxation in Estonia arose only if the employee had been in Estonia for the purpose of employment for 183 days.

The government has approved a package of measures to mitigate the initial stage of the crisis caused by COVID-19. The measures also include paying taxes, e.g. suspension on mandatory pension fund payments, relief on social tax payments, interest payments and the payment of tax liabilities in instalments.