Household Tax Deduction for Cleaning Services in 2026 — Full Guide
The household tax deduction (kotitalousvähennys) is Finland's most underused tax break. For cleaning services, it can knock 35% off the labour cost — making professional cleaning meaningfully cheaper than the sticker price suggests. Here's how it works in 2026.
The basics in 60 seconds
If you buy cleaning, renovation, or care work from a registered Finnish business — and pay an invoice — you can deduct 35% of the labour cost from your taxes. The maximum is €1,600 per person per year. Two adults living in the same household can each claim the full amount: €3,200 total per year.
Quick math: weekly home cleaning
| Service | Hourly rate | Real cost after deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Home cleaning (weekly) | 39 €/hour | ~25.35 €/hour |
| Home cleaning (every 2 weeks) | 42 €/hour | ~27.30 €/hour |
| Move-out cleaning | 42 €/hour | ~27.30 €/hour |
| Window cleaning | 39 €/hour | ~25.35 €/hour |
What qualifies (and what doesn't)
The deduction applies to labour cost only — not materials. For cleaning services, that's nearly the whole bill since materials are minimal. Eligible services include:
- Regular home cleaning
- Move-out and move-in cleaning
- Window cleaning
- Deep cleaning
- Specialist cleaning (sauna, balcony, post-construction)
- Snow clearing on private yards
- Lawn care and garden work
What doesn't qualify:
- Cleaning of common areas in housing companies (taloyhtiö stairwells, shared yards)
- Office or business premises cleaning (this falls under business expenses instead)
- Services bought outside the EU/EEA
- Materials and product costs separately invoiced
The €150 own-share
There is a €150 own-share (omavastuu) per year, subtracted from the calculated deduction. In practice, if you only used the service for a single small cleaning of €200, you would get nothing back: 35% of €200 is €70, which falls below the €150 own-share.
For anyone using cleaning regularly, the own-share is hit in the first month and doesn't matter for the rest of the year.
How to claim it
The deduction is claimed in your tax return through OmaVero. You'll need:
- The cleaning company's business ID (Y-tunnus)
- Invoices showing the labour portion separately
- Date and address of the work
If you pay by invoice and request electronic copies, all of this is on each invoice. You can claim either in advance (lower withholding during the year) or after the fact in your tax return.
Worked example: a family that uses cleaning weekly
Anna and Mikko live in a 75 m² apartment in Espoo. They book Cleava for weekly cleaning at 39€/hour. A typical clean takes 3 hours, so each visit costs €117. Over a year that's €117 × 52 = €6,084.
The labour portion is essentially the whole amount. 35% of €6,084 = €2,129. Minus the €150 own-share (one per household), that is €1,979. That stays below the couple’s combined €3,200 ceiling, so the deduction is €1,979. The real annual cost: €6,084 − €1,979 = €4,105, or €78.94/week.
Common mistakes
The most common reasons claims get rejected:
- Company isn't in the prepaid register (ennakkoperintärekisteri). Always check. Cleava is registered, as are all reputable cleaning companies.
- Cash payment. Only invoice payments qualify. No bank transfer trail = no deduction.
- Work done in a property the claimant doesn't live in. The deduction applies to your own home or one used by your parents, in-laws or grandparents.
- Materials not separated from labour on the invoice. Make sure your invoice shows the labour clearly.
What's changing in 2026
The current deduction is 35% of labour, capped at €1,600 per person. Parliament has approved an increase to 40% and €2,100, to be applied retroactively in the 2026 taxation. Check Vero.fi for the latest, as the rules can change year to year.
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