HELSINKI: The total sum of environmental taxes in 2014 was EUR 6.0 billion, which was 1.3 per cent higher than in 2013 according to Statistics Finland’s data. The rise in environmental taxes was held back by a drop in emission taxes which was caused in particular by a decrease in the accrual of waste tax. The share of environmental taxes of Finland’s entire tax revenue is around seven per cent. Auction of emission allowances is included in the statistics on environmental taxes for the first time in 2014.
The reason for recording emission allowances was the change in the recording of tax income related to emissions trading in the National Accounts. Emission allowances are part of energy taxes and their magnitude in 2014 was EUR 104 million, the statistics show. The amount of environmental taxes grew in particular in the industries of manufacturing and energy supply. The growth is explained by emission allowances being recorded as part of energy taxes, which raised, in particular, the environmental taxes paid by the energy supply industry.
As a result of the new calculation method, the emission allowances acquired are slightly higher in the first recording year in 2014 than in the following years because the emission allowances are recoded as taxes for a slightly longer period. In water supply, sewerage and waste management, paid environmental taxes decreased by around eight per cent due to a drop in the accrual of waste tax. Waste tax is paid on waste deposited at landfills, the amount of which has declined as combustion of waste has become more commonplace.
Environmental taxes are comprised of energy taxes, transport taxes, emission taxes and resource taxes. Most of environmental taxes are energy taxes on electricity and fuels. One-third of environmental taxes are transport taxes levied from different kinds of vehicles. The majority of emission taxes is waste tax. Taxes paid on carbon dioxide emissions are included in energy taxes. Licence fees for hunting and fishing are resource taxes in Finland.
