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Home BUSINESSPicking berry for others considered taxable
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Sat, 23 Jul, 2016 12:03:18 AM
FTimes – STT Report, Jul 23
 
Thai seasonal workers come to Finland to pick berries. File Photo Lehtikuva.
Although the sales of forest berries and mushrooms in the market is tax free income, tax could be applicable on these forest items if any one collects them as an employee of any organisation or any other individual.
 
The Finnish woods are bountiful in tax-free income. Natural berries and mushrooms can be sold tax-free as long as the picking and selling are not done by an employee, said Petri Manninen, the Inspector General of the Tax Administration.
 
The tax boss said that employment is defined through characteristics specified in the Employ-ment Contracts Act.
 
“Employment doesn't always need a written contract, if you clearly are picking berries for some-one and they pay you for it, it is considered employment,” said Manninen. 
 
Manninen would judge it taxable income, if anyone´s neighbour asks him or her to bring them a bucket of blueberries from the forest and compensate the neighbour with money.
 
“This is clearly doing work for someone on their request. It would be another thing, if they went to pick the berries on their own accord and the neighbor would just happen to want to buy them,” said the top tax official.
 
File Photo Lehtikuva.
Manninen, however, said that nobody needs to be worried about announcing the sales of the ber-ries and mushrooms, if it is picked by him or herself.
 
However, if anyone wants to avoid taxes as the Tax Administration judges, deals in this regard should be made beforehand.
 
If there is a deal and the money has swapped hands, the seller has the responsibility to announce their income to the Tax Administration. 
 
The buyers need not to announce the compensation to the Tax Office if the sum is below 200 euros.
 
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