Can you get the household tax credit for a move in 2026?

The short answer

You can’t get the household tax credit for the moving work itself. Under the Tax Administration’s guidance in force from 1 January 2025, packing, carrying, transport, and taking apart and reassembling old furniture do not qualify.

Cleaning done as part of the move and assembly of new furniture can qualify, when they are priced and invoiced separately from the moving work.

Why does cleaning qualify but moving doesn’t?

The household tax credit is granted for ordinary household work, such as cleaning. The Tax Administration’s guidance excludes moving work, even though it happens at home. That is why the eligible work must appear on the invoice as its own line. If cleaning is priced as part of a moving package, it is hard to separate.

How much is the credit?

In 2025 the credit is 35 per cent of the labour cost bought from a company, up to €1,600 per person per year, with an annual deductible of €150. A temporary increase to 40 per cent and €2,100 has been proposed for 2026 and 2027. Check the current figures with the Tax Administration before you calculate.

The deductible applies to the whole year

The €150 deductible is subtracted only once a year from all your eligible household work combined. If you also pay for other household work in the same year, such as cleaning or renovation, the credit builds up across all of it.

The credit is personal. If spouses pay for work together, each can claim the share they paid.

How to get the invoice right

The credit only works when the eligible work is clearly shown on the invoice.

• Ask for a separate price for cleaning or new-furniture assembly when you request the quote.
• Make sure labour and materials are itemised.
• Check that the company is in the prepayment register (ennakkoperintärekisteri). You can see this in the YTJ service.
• Keep the invoice and proof of payment.

YTJ: Finnish Business Information System

How to claim the credit

You can claim it during the year by changing your tax card in MyTax (OmaVero), which lowers your withholding. Or you can report it in your pre-completed tax return after the year ends.

Example: cleaning and assembly in the same year

If you pay for both moving cleaning and assembly of new furniture in the same year, the work is added together and the deductible is subtracted only once.

What is the household tax credit?

The household tax credit (kotitalousvähennys) is a tax deduction for work done in your home or holiday home. It is deducted directly from your tax, not from your income, so it reduces the tax you pay euro for euro.

It covers ordinary household work such as cleaning, care work, and maintenance and renovation of the home. Moving work is excluded.

Finnish Tax Administration: tax credit for household expenses

Conditions for the credit

Getting the credit requires a few things:

• The work is done in your home or holiday home.
• The company doing the work is in the prepayment register.
• You pay for the work yourself, and the labour is itemised on the invoice.
• The credit covers labour, not materials.

Renters can claim it too

You don’t need to own your home to get the credit. A renter can claim it, for example, for cleaning they pay for themselves. So if you are moving out of a rental, separately invoiced end-of-tenancy cleaning can qualify.

Moving, cleaning and assembly from one company

If the same company does both the move and the cleaning, ask for the work to be priced separately and invoiced on its own lines. Otherwise the eligible part can’t be separated. The same goes for assembling new furniture: if assembly is included in the moving package price, the credit is hard to get.

Raise this at the quote stage, because an invoice is awkward to change afterwards. Nordmuutto also offers move-out cleaning and assembly of new furniture. If you book them with your move, ask for them as separate lines in the quote.

Invoice checklist

When you get the invoice, check these before you pay:

• The invoice shows the company name and Business ID.
• The eligible work is on its own line.
• Labour and materials are priced separately.
• VAT is shown on the invoice.
• You pay the invoice yourself and keep proof of payment.

The proposed increase for 2026

A temporary increase in the household tax credit has been proposed for 2026 and 2027: the rate would rise to 40 per cent and the maximum to €2,100. The deductible would stay at €150, and the increase would apply retroactively to the whole of 2026.

Before you calculate, check whether the change has been confirmed, because the Tax Administration describes it as a proposal.

Finnish Tax Administration: tax credit for household expenses

Small jobs may leave no credit

Because the deductible is €150 a year, a small job on its own may not produce any credit. The table shows what remains from jobs of different sizes, if you have no other eligible household work that year.

The household tax credit in a move, step by step

This is how to make sure the credit works.

What does moving cleaning usually include?

Moving cleaning is more thorough than a regular weekly clean. It usually includes:

• Wiping kitchen cupboards inside and out
• Cleaning the oven, hob and cooker hood
• Washing the fridge and freezer
• Washing the bathroom and toilet
• Vacuuming and washing the floors
• Wiping doors, switches and skirting boards

Clean yourself or hire a company?

If you clean yourself, there is of course no credit, but you save the whole cost. Hiring a cleaning company costs more, but part of the cost comes back as a credit and you have more time for the move. Many people choose a middle way: light cleaning themselves and the hardest parts, such as the oven and bathroom, by a professional.

Which spouse pays?

The household tax credit and its deductible are personal. So for a small job, it can be better for only one spouse to pay the invoice. If a €600 job is split in half, each €300 share falls below the deductible and no credit arises.

For large jobs it’s different: if one spouse reaches the maximum, splitting the invoice can increase the credit.

Combine with other household work

The deductible is subtracted only once a year. If you have other household work done in the same year, such as regular cleaning or small repairs, the credit for moving cleaning adds up with it, and the deductible takes a smaller share.

If the invoice is wrong

If the invoice lacks itemisation or the work was billed as part of the move, ask the company for a corrected invoice before claiming. A corrected invoice that clearly shows the labour is the best proof.

How to order moving cleaning

Ask the cleaning company for a quote that says what the cleaning includes, for example washing the oven, fridge and cupboards inside. Check the company’s prepayment registration in the YTJ service and book a time when the home is already empty. Go through the cleaned home before the key handover, so any gaps can be fixed.

Example: a renter’s end-of-tenancy cleaning

A renter orders end-of-tenancy cleaning with a labour cost of €400. With the 2025 rules, the credit would be 35 per cent, or €140. Because the deductible is €150, no credit arises if there is no other household work that year.

If the same person also pays for regular home cleaning worth €1,000 that year, the work is added together. The credit is then 35 per cent of €1,400, or €490, and €340 after the deductible.

What can’t be included?

You can’t include moving work, materials, or work someone else paid for. If your employer pays for your move, for example, you can’t deduct the same cost yourself. Work you do yourself doesn’t qualify either.

Common misconceptions

You often hear these, but they aren’t true:

• “You can deduct the whole moving service.” You can’t. Moving work hasn’t qualified since 2025.
• “Moving boxes are deductible.” They aren’t. The credit covers labour only.
• “The credit is refunded straight away.” No. It shows on your tax card or in your tax decision.
• “Only owners can claim it.” Renters can claim it too for work they pay for themselves.

When does the credit show?

If you add the credit to your tax card during the year, your withholding falls and the benefit shows in your pay. If you report it only in your tax return, it shows in your tax decision, for example as a refund. Either way works, as long as the credit is reported.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most common questions:

• Can I deduct moving boxes or tape? No. The credit covers labour only, not materials.
• Does end-of-tenancy cleaning qualify? Moving cleaning at your old or new home can qualify when it is invoiced separately.
• Does carrying qualify if the same company also cleans? No. Only separately invoiced cleaning can qualify.
• Can I claim it afterwards? Yes. You can report it in your pre-completed tax return after the year ends.

The household tax credit in a nutshell

What to remember at a glance:

• Moving work hasn’t qualified since 2025.
• Moving cleaning and new-furniture assembly can qualify.
• The work must be invoiced separately, with labour itemised.
• The deductible is €150 a year and is subtracted once.
• You can claim via your tax card or your tax return.

To sum up

You can’t get the household tax credit for moving work, but you can for separately invoiced moving cleaning and assembly of new furniture. Ask for itemised work, check the invoice and remember the annual deductible.

Check the current rules

Tax rules and credit amounts can change. Always check the current details with the Tax Administration before you calculate the credit or make decisions based on it.

Finnish Tax Administration: tax credit for household expenses

Other ways to lower moving costs

Since the move itself isn’t deductible, savings come from preparation and comparison. Pack in advance, declutter and compare quotes on the same details. See also what affects moving costs.