Tax incentive for competence development
- Goal
Summary
The Finnish tax system does not currently encourage education. The opportunities for continuous learning have been weakened by removing the adult education allowance, for example. Many foreign students pay tuition fees. We need an incentive to encourage foreign students to stay and work in Finland after graduation.
Finland needs international experts and competence development
Finnish working life needs international experts. Students arriving in Finland from outside EU and EEA countries pay for the education they receive, but there is currently no incentive for them to stay in Finland after graduation.
Many Finns, on the other hand, deepen their own competence in the evenings in their own time by taking courses at adult education centres or open universities, for example. The employee uses their own funds for the education, even though it benefits the employer and the society. However, the opportunities for education alongside work have been weakened by removing the adult education allowance, for example, so we need new financial incentives for voluntary further education.
Our reasoning
Benefits to society
With the tax incentive, we are preventing brain drain: more and more international experts who have completed a higher education degree in Finland would stay and work in Finland. Investments in our education system are not wasted and we support the internationalisation efforts of Finnish companies.
Continuous learning and raising the skill level are vital for the development of today’s working life and society. By encouraging voluntary competence development in people’s free time, we support both the employment opportunities of individuals and the development of companies.
It is still possible to obtain the right to a tax deduction for education fees at the moment, but using the right is challenging. A simpler model would encourage studying.
Our solution
The right to a tax deduction for tuition fees and education fees
- The right to a tax deduction for tuition fees and similar other degree fees after graduation.
- The right to a tax deduction for education fees.
Do you have any questions?
We are happy to help you.
Ville-Veikko Rantamaula
Director of Advocacy
Tuomas Meriniemi
Special Advisor, education, employment and industrial policy
The Professionals of Business and Technology
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