Digital financial statements of limited liability companies to the Finnish Trade Register
Limited liability companies can submit financial statements to the Trade Register in digital format. The format makes the information machine-readable by arranging it in a uniform manner and in a certain order. This makes it easier to use the data and reduces the risk of omitting information required by law.
Please note that digital financial statements must be in a structured format, which means that taxonomies must be followed when preparing the financial statements. It is not enough to save Word documents in XHTML file format.
Read more:
Which companies file digital financial statements?
Digital financial statements are currently mandatory for:
- large, listed companies that are required to report non-financial information
- public-interest entities (PIEs) with an average of 500 or more employees during the financial period
- parent companies of PIEs whose group of companies had an average of 500 or more employees during the financial period.
These companies must also file a sustainability report as part of the annual report of the financial statements. Read more about which companies must file a sustainability report and from when.
For the time being, filing digital financial statements is voluntary for other limited liability companies.
When to file
File the financial statements with the Finnish Trade Register within eight months from the end of the financial period.
If you file the digital financial statements with the Trade Register by the tax return deadline, you do not have to send the financial statements to the Finnish Tax Administration separately, as the Finnish Tax Administration will automatically receive digital financial statements from the PRH if you have filed them by the deadline.
This procedure will not change the deadline for details filed with the Finnish Tax Administration. If a company files their financial statements with the Trade Register after the tax return deadline, the company may also have to file the financial statements with the Finnish Tax Administration separately. Go to our instructions: Filing financial statements with tax returns.
How much does it cost?
Filing is free of charge within eight months of the end of the financial period.
A fee is charged when limited liability companies and co-operatives file overdue financial statements. The amount of the fee depends on the financial year and the duration of the delay, among other things. Read more about the fee for financial statements filed late.
How do I file financial statements?
File the digital financial statements with one of the following:
- financial administration software that is connected to the PRH's financial statement interface.
- the online filing service at ytj.fiAvautuu uuteen välilehteen
Exceptional cases: file using the web form
Attach all the required documents in the software or in the online filing service at ytj.fi. Financial statement documents to be filed.
For the time being, the documents do not need to be in IXBRL format. Read more about the PRH’s decision on financial statement documents.
Read the instructions for companies filing sustainability reports.
If you file digital financial statements via the online service at ytj.fi or, in exceptional circumstances, using our online form, the financial statement package must state the date when the financial statements were adopted and the decision on the use of the company’s profits. This information can be written in a free-form document and attached in XHTML format to the digital financial statement package. You do not have to attach the minutes of the general meeting to the financial statement notification.
Listed companies reporting according to the ESEF requirements: Read further instructions on how to add details to the ESEF material.
Are electronic signatures required?
It is not mandatory to include signatures in digital financial statements. If necessary, the signatures or details of the signatories can be embedded in the financial statements in a free-form manner. For the present, digital financial statements are regarded as copies in terms of their legal character. The original signed financial statements remain in the company’s possession, and they do not have to be separately sent to the Finnish Trade Register.
After registration
Digital financial statements can be registered automatically. Read more about automatic registration.
As soon as the financial statements have been registered, a register extract will be sent to the company’s mailing address, as recorded in the Finnish Trade Register.
The details in the financial statements are publicly available on the PRH Virre information service.Avautuu uuteen välilehteen
Several service providers use the financial statement details. Read more about our co-operation partners providing financial statement details.
How to complete and revise digital financial statements
You can complete or revise digital financial statements you have sent to the Trade Register online. Resend all financial statement documents using the accounting software or the online filing at ytj.fi.
Please note: Do not send PDF documents to the PRH or the Finnish Tax Administration.
If a company that is obliged to draw up digital financial statements has filed its financial statements in PDF format to the Finnish Trade Register, the company must also file digital financial statements via the online filing service at ytj.fi or the interface. The digital financial statements are registered as the latest version. The previously submitted PDF financial statements will not be deregistered and they will remain available in the Virre Information Service.
Exceptional cases: file using the web form
By way of exception, the following companies may file their digital financial statements using an online form:
- credit and insurance institutions that are not required to prepare ESEF financial statements
- companies that cannot sign the notification in the online service at ytj.fi (no Finnish personal identity code)
Please note: the online form is only intended for filing digital financial statements of companies with a sustainability reporting obligation.
You can request a link to the online form by sending an email to digitilinpaatos(at)prh.fi. Please state the company’s name and Finnish Business ID in your message.