Information needed about being a freelancer

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txell
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:54 pm

Information needed about being a freelancer

Post by txell » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:10 pm

Hello everybody!

I am a translator living in Finland for quite some time. Now, after not finding any work related to my studies, I have decided to try and start being a freelancer. Maybe there is already some information on the forum about how to start being a freelancer in Finland (where do I have to register, how much I need to pay every month, taxes, etc.), but I haven't found it. If anybody has information or experience about this matter please share it with me! I will be extremely glad :D

Thank you very much in advance!



Information needed about being a freelancer

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tjawatts
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Siuntio
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Re: Information needed about being a freelancer

Post by tjawatts » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:27 pm

Hi

Related to your field you should perhaps look at joining SKTL (http://www.sktl.fi/). There are lots of other translators who work as a freelancer, or more precisely as a toiminimi (soletrader). The below assumes that and not that you are just working for several employers as an employee (sometimes people refer to that as freelancing).

Take here for more information on starting a business
http://www.yrityssuomi.fi/web/enterpris ... d/starting

You need to fill in a Y3 form and return it to the PRH http://www.ytj.fi/english/services/Notification-forms

You should estimate your profit for the year and then you will have to pay taxes based on that during the year (of course things are then corrected afterwards if the amount ends up being wrong, upwards or downwards).

If your total invoiced work will be more than 8500 eur then you need to register for VAT and charge your clients VAT on all invoices (24% starting from January 2013). Then file the regular VAT reports. You can also deduct any VAT charged on expenses related to your business.

Then you should take out YEL pension (this is compulsory if you earn more than ~EUR 7000). This is about 20% of your declared YEL income (this can be different to your actual and your estimate for the tax man, but remember this is the income your benefits would be based on if you claim anything from the YEL).

That is the main things I can think of.

Tony

Rosamunda
Posts: 10650
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:07 am

Re: Information needed about being a freelancer

Post by Rosamunda » Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:57 pm

txell wrote:Hello everybody!

I am a translator living in Finland for quite some time. Now, after not finding any work related to my studies, I have decided to try and start being a freelancer. Maybe there is already some information on the forum about how to start being a freelancer in Finland (where do I have to register, how much I need to pay every month, taxes, etc.), but I haven't found it. If anybody has information or experience about this matter please share it with me! I will be extremely glad :D

Thank you very much in advance!
If you put "toiminimi" into the search engine you shouldfind plenty of threads dealing with how to register as a sole trader.

Which languages do you translate?

Have you thought of using Proz?

Have you registered with these:
http://www.sktl.fi/in-english/search/
http://www.sktol.org/en/index.html


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