Many business problems could have been avoided simply by remembering a few important dates. Estonian reporting and tax obligations are not complicated, but they are regular. If you know the main deadlines, late reports, fines and other problems will be significantly reduced, which we will discuss in other articles on businesshub.ee.
This calendar brings together key deadlines on one page, explains who they affect, and briefly describes the consequences of being late. It's a practical tool worth using all year round.
Need help?
Solving most problems starts with one simple habit: important dates need to be on the calendar before they reach the official reminder.
Do you want to be sure that your company's important deadlines won't go unnoticed?
Need help creating your company calendar?
Are you not sure which deadlines apply to your company?
Tell us:
- whether you pay yourself a salary or a board member's fee;
- whether the company is subject to VAT;
- When does your financial year end?
We will create a short and practical calendar for you that only includes deadlines that are important to your company.
Estonian company deadline calendar: every deadline and what it costs to miss it
Many business problems could have been avoided simply by remembering a few important dates. Estonian reporting and tax obligations are not complicated, but they are regular. If you know the main deadlines, late reports, fines and other problems will be significantly reduced, which we will discuss in other articles on businesshub.ee.
This calendar brings together key deadlines on one page, explains who they affect, and briefly describes the consequences of being late. It's a practical tool worth using all year round.
Two monthly dates: 10th and 20th.
If you remember only one thing from this article, let it be the 10th and 20th of every month.
Deadline
What needs to be submitted?
Who is affected?
Possible consequences of being late
10th of every month
TSD: tax declaration related to salary, board member fees, fringe benefits and profit distribution
Companies that paid salaries, board member fees, or dividends last month
Possible interest on the tax due and repeated delays may increase the attention of the Tax and Customs Board towards the company.
The 20th of every month
KMD. VAT return
Only VAT payers
Delays may result in sanctions, and any VAT due must also be paid by that date.
It is important to remember that these obligations are conditional.
- If the company did not pay salaries, board member fees, or dividends in the previous month, there is no obligation to file a TSD.
- If the company is not subject to VAT, a VAT return is not filed.
This is precisely why many entrepreneurs forget about these deadlines: the obligation does not arise every month. The problem arises when the company's activities change and the new obligation goes unnoticed.
One annual date: June 30
Deadline
What needs to be submitted?
Who is affected?
Possible consequences of being late
June 30 ( for most companies)
Annual report to the Commercial Register
All Estonian companies, including inactive companies
Possible escalation of the procedure: warnings, fines, and in the event of a long-term violation, deletion proceedings.
An annual report is mandatory even if the company had no economic activity. A so-called zero report must also be submitted.
Most companies' financial year coincides with the calendar year, and therefore the due date is June 30. If the company's financial year differs from the calendar year, the report must be submitted six months after its end.
Estonian companies generally do not have a separate annual corporate income tax return. Corporate income tax is declared through the TSD when profits are distributed.
Annual maintenance
In addition to monthly and annual reporting obligations, there are two things that do not have a specific submission deadline, but neglecting which often causes unnecessary problems in practice.
Registered address. Contact person
Check regularly that your registered address is up to date.
Contact person. Until 01.02.2023, the appointment of a contact person was regulated by Section 63¹ of the Commercial Code (ÄS), based on which the appointment of a contact person was mandatory if the company's management board or a body replacing it was located in a foreign country. Representatives of a profession or field of activity specified in the law could be appointed as a contact person.
01.02.2023 The Commercial Register Act (ÄR) came into force and with it (§ 24) the basis for appointing a contact person was changed - the obligation to appoint was linked to the address of the legal entity in a foreign country, and no longer to the location of the management board. Otherwise, appointing a contact person is voluntary.
Digital ID or e-resident card
If you run a business as an e-resident, monitor the validity of your digital ID or e-resident card.
An expired card may mean that you will no longer be able to digitally sign annual reports, declarations, or other documents. Therefore, it is worth planning to renew your card well in advance of its expiration date. (Read more: The ID card trap (Article 20))
Practical advice: add a reminder to your calendar at the beginning of each year to check both your contact information and the validity of your digital ID. A few minutes of preventive checking can prevent much bigger problems later.
Your calendar by business type
Not all companies have to fulfill the same obligations. The following overview will help you quickly find the reporting rhythm that is right for your company.
Inactive company (not subject to VAT)
- annual report once a year;
- regular checking of contact person and registry data;
- Monitoring the validity of digital ID.
In practice, this is the simplest reporting model.
An operating company that only pays dividends
- annual financial report once a year;
- TSD only in the month when dividends are actually paid;
- Regular verification of contact person and digital ID.
A monthly VAT return is not submitted if the company is not subject to VAT.
Operating company that pays salary or board member fees
- TSD each month when disbursements are made;
- annual financial report once a year;
- Regular verification of contact person and digital ID.
VAT registered company
This company's reporting is the most regular.
- KMD every month;
- TSD in the months when taxable withdrawals are made;
- annual financial report once a year;
- Regular verification of contact person and digital ID.
If you know which group your company belongs to, the entire Estonian reporting system becomes much simpler.
If a deadline was missed
Missing a deadline does not automatically mean there is a serious problem. The most important thing is to act as soon as possible.
Monthly declaration was late
Submit the missing declaration as soon as possible. A small delay is usually much easier to resolve than a long period of inaction.
The annual report was not submitted.
The earlier the report is submitted, the lower the risk that the procedure will move to the next stage. Do not wait for official reminders if you already know that the deadline has passed.
Several obligations are outstanding
In this case, don't try to solve everything in random order.
First, map:
- which declarations have not been submitted;
- which reports are missing;
- which deadlines have already passed.
Then, create an action plan and tackle the responsibilities in a logical sequence. A systematic approach will reduce both costs and the risk of further problems.
FAQ
Does an inactive company really have so few liabilities?
Yes, mostly.
If a company does not pay salaries or board member fees, does not distribute dividends, and is not subject to VAT, it generally does not have monthly declarations. However, this does not mean that there are no obligations at all.
Even an inactive company must submit an annual report and keep its registration information and contact person information up to date.
When must the annual report be submitted?
As a general rule, six months after the end of the company's financial year.
For most Estonian companies whose financial year coincides with the calendar year, the due date is June 30. The same requirement applies even if the company had no economic activity.
Does an Estonian company have to file an annual income tax return?
Generally not.
Corporate income tax is declared and paid through TSD when a company makes taxable payments, such as distributing profits.
The annual report is the only mandatory annual report for most companies.
What is the difference between TSD and KMD?
These are two different declarations.
A TSD is filed when a company pays salaries, board member fees, fringe benefits, or makes other taxable payments.
KMD is a VAT return and is submitted only by VAT payers.
Although both are monthly declarations, they have different deadlines and submission criteria.
What happens if the annual report is not submitted?
Typically, the procedure begins with reminders and warnings.
Failure to comply with the obligation for a longer period of time may result in fines and ultimately the company being deregistered. The sooner the missing report is submitted, the easier it will be to resolve the situation.
Can someone keep track of these deadlines for me?
Yes.
Many companies entrust the monitoring of deadlines to their accountant or accounting firm. However, by law, the ultimate responsibility always remains with the company's board of directors.
Therefore, even if you use a professional service, it is worth knowing at least the main deadlines and checking from time to time that all obligations have been fulfilled.
businesshub.ee helps Estonian business owners avoid the most common reporting errors. Most problems that need to be solved later can be prevented with a simple calendar and timely actions.
Related reading
[Late annual report(01); Paying yourself (6); The ID card trap (20); Estonian tax debt spiral (21); When is a VAT number needed? (27);]
Need help?
Solving most problems starts with one simple habit: important dates need to be on the calendar before they reach the official reminder.
Do you want to be sure that your company's important deadlines won't go unnoticed?
Need help creating your company calendar?
Are you not sure which deadlines apply to your company?
Tell us:
- whether you pay yourself a salary or a board member's fee;
- whether the company is subject to VAT;
- When does your financial year end?
We will create a short and practical calendar for you that only includes deadlines that are important to your company.