Review of your YEL income

We review your YEL income when:

• approximately three years have passed since it was last confirmed, and
• the change would exceed 5%

Changing pension providers does not affect the review.

Not necessarily.

• It often remains unchanged
• It may also increase or decrease
• Changes are made gradually

We only propose changes if your income clearly differs from your work contribution.

Increases are moderate.

The maximum increase is:

• €4,000 per review
• approximately €85 more in YEL contributions per month

The increase may be smaller or there may be no increase at all.

The maximum increase can also be applied if you do not respond to the review or if there are no sufficient grounds for a requested change.

At your own request, the income can also be increased more, which improves your pension and social security faster.

YEL contributions are fully tax-deductible.

You receive a personal recommendation based on:

• salary levels of full-time employees in your industry (private sector)
• your turnover compared to your industry
• possible other earnings

We also take into account the information you provide about your work.

The data comes from:

• Statistics Finland (salary data)
• the Tax Administration (turnover and industry data)
• the Incomes Register (earnings data)

Yes. It may:

• stay the same
• increase
• decrease

The decision is always based on an overall assessment.

Each year, your YEL income is slightly adjusted using a wage coefficient so it keeps up with general wage development.

In regular reviews, we consider different information about your work and business.

If your income appears too low, we will send you a proposal.
You can assess it and provide additional details.

You will receive the decision primarily via Suomi.fi Messages.

Secondarily via:

• OmaPosti
• or by letter

You can: 

1. Reject the proposal
2. Answer follow-up questions
3. Provide additional information

The recommendation is just that – a recommendation. It can be adjusted up or down with justification.

We will review your situation and make a decision. Finally, we will confirm either your new YEL income or that your current income remains unchanged.

If necessary, you can appeal the decision, and we will guide you through the process.

The best way is to keep your YEL income up to date.

You can:

• check your income in the online service
• apply for changes yourself

Log in to the online service

We recommend:

• reviewing your YEL income at least once a year
• updating it if your work changes for at least 3 months

Changes should be made in time, as income cannot be adjusted retroactively.

Typically, changes are made when:

• your business expands or decreases
• part-time work becomes full-time or vice versa

If you are a new entrepreneur, we recommend reassessing your income once your business has stabilised, for example 6 months after taking out YEL insurance.

The reform aimed to ensure that YEL income better reflects actual work contribution. For many entrepreneurs, the income has been too low, weakening their social security.

Key changes:

• YEL income is assessed more accurately using various data
• Decisions include clearer reasoning
• Incomes are reviewed regularly (about every 3 years)

What did not change:

• The basic principle remains the same
• It still corresponds to the salary that would be paid for the same work

The overall situation of the entrepreneur is still always taken into account, so the income remains individual.