good to get hitched?

[zastler]

Are there any advantages to being married e.g tax, insurance etc.??

[guillermoesparcia]

Well... since you don't give more details, I am not sure I can be of any help.

All I know are the basics: if you are a foreigner, by marring somebody permanently living in Finland you can then claim family bounds and therefore qualify to apply to be a member of Kela and all that comes with it (medial care, social security...).

I don't know further (taxes, etc.)

[Rip]

Without kids I think the advantages are mostly related to situations were something bad happens to the other one, that is are you officially each other's closest family members and heirs or just strangers to each other.

[zastler]

thanks

here are a few more details: we are not married, from the UK and have 2 kids and will soon move to Finland. I know that in countries like Germany you pay less tax if you are married and the rest of the family can go on the health insurance of the one with the main income etc. In the UK it doesn't make a difference except, as you say, for when one dies and for custody of children...

[Rip]

Most rules (like taxation, insurance, and immigration within EU) recognize couple with children equivalent with a married couple (an KELA considers you share your money if you share an address). The inheritance an inheritance taxation law rules are quite different, it depends on your personal situation if that matters to you. I don't know what rules do hospital's use if they'd need to find determine the next of kin.

I guess i could ad that ordinary income taxation is done on individual basis, not as families, so 'marriage' does not enter the equation
(with progressive taxation this of course means that couples with one breadwinner are penalized compared with another family with the same combined gross income but split between two employed parents)

[Rip]

family pension for a widow is also only paid if the couple was married.