What to Look Forward in 2008 in Finland
@ 11:35 am Great expectations for 2008.
- Alcohol will be less advertised and more taxed. There may not be adverts on television between 7-21, nor in movie theaters except when the movie is K18 (extremely rare these days). There may not be adverts of “happy hour” prices outside establishments. And, “buying in bulk may not be cheaper” so if a dachshund is 6 euros then you need to be selling the beer per bottle at 50c and a case for 12. Alcohol tax goes up 10-15% spelling out that maybe you need to shell out an 1,50 more for a bottle of kossu, 20c more for plonk, and beer guzzlers will imbibe 5c more tax.
- Car tax is revamped to reflect the CO2 emissions. The amount of tax will vary from 10 -40%. Also, the old set amount deductions will be taken away when calculating the tax. The tax will go lower on small cars and high on big cars, the average amount of total taxation is said to drop by one sixth – just in other words meaning – if you keep driving the Nissan Micra. And, a new law preventing you to packing four people on the back seat comes to effect, you may no longer overload a passenger vehicle even temporarily.
- Energy taxes will rise. The government is getting its money somewhere, so fuels and electricity will be taxed more. What this spells out is that you pay an average 50 more for gas for the Micra in a year and if you heat a house with electricity, your bill will go up by 30, if by oil you end up paying another 5 as compared to 2007.
- Entertainment will also be more expensive. The tv-licence will be 215,45 per year, or 18,60 per month if you go on a monthly plan.
- Equality will rise. All the counties will now belong to the same “means test” category where the living expenses before were categorised in I and II rate. This means many rural area pensioners get a 20-30 euro raise per month. All pensioners will also get a small index increase in their pensions, and a tax bracket change is implemented in the 13 000 -31 000 / p.a bracket so that the pension isn’t more highly taxed than the equivalent amount of salary. However the rises won’t necessarily better the situation as the health care charges will be rising as well as the energy taxes.
- There is some light for the single parent households, an extra 10 for the single parent supplement.
- Taxation is getting lower. By 0,5% in all income scales. Huge relief, as is the few cents added to the mileage costs. To reflect the changing of times if a person has to have a second home to work in another town, you can now deduct a whopping 250 euros towards the rent.
- The national basic interest rate will rise from 4,25 to 4,75. meaning in other words that anyone with a debt will see their interests rise a fraction atleast. As a relief for those with unpaid debts, in 2008 the new law on collection sets a moratorium on debts. They actually can be written off after the maximum collection period, and you can die and the debts won’t be collected from the estate. Also, if you have been a co-signer, your liabilities end when the main signers debt gets written off.
So, with all that 0,5% – cannot afford no booze and cannot afford nowhere to go. Looks like 2008 will be another of these years.
