The State Treasury will open its time-limited electronic application service for business cost support at 8 am on Tuesday 7.7.2020. Cost support is aimed at companies whose turnover has decreased significantly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and that have costs that are difficult to adjust. The support is affected by a company’s fixed costs and salary costs for the support period of 1.4.–31.5.2020.
Cost support can be applied for from the State Treasury until 31.8.2020. To receive support, therefore, it is not necessary to hurry to apply for it right at the start of the application period. The support is regulated by law, so all companies that meet the conditions for receiving the support and apply for it by the deadline will get it.
Business field can be checked on the State Treasury website
The business fields covered by the support are specified in the government decree. Cost support can be paid to companies whose main business field notified to the Tax Administration is covered by the support on 1.4.2020.
If under the decree a company’s business field is not covered by the support, the company must provide particularly compelling reasons for the decrease in its turnover being due to the coronavirus situation. A particularly compelling reason may be, for example, a restriction or regulation which has made it more difficult to conduct business. In addition, the company must also show why its situation differs from the general situation of its business field.
Companies can check the business fields covered by the cost support under the decree on the State Treasury website.
Calculator helps to estimate the amount of support
The condition for receiving support is that a company’s turnover must have decreased by over 30 per cent compared to the reference period. The State Treasury gets details of a company’s turnover from the company’s VAT declarations to the Tax Administration or, failing that, from the company’s own declaration.
There is a calculator on the State Treasury website for estimating whether a company is entitled to the support. The calculator is indicative and the result given is not an official decision on cost support – support must be applied for separately in the e-services.
How-to video helps with completing application
The how-to video on the State Treasury website helps you to complete the application.
Cost support can only be paid to the account that the company has notified to the Tax Administration. If necessary the company can check its account number in MyTax.
The following data are required to complete the application:
- Monthly-level sales data for the support and reference months, unless the data has been notified to the Tax Administration by monthly VAT declarations
- Monthly data on fixed costs for the support months
- Data on payments and support related to the coronavirus pandemic received from elsewhere
The State Treasury gets companies’ other financial and earnings payment data from the Tax Administration and the Incomes Register.
Frequently asked questions and customer service help applicants
You should first check whether there is an answer to your question in the frequently asked questions on the cost support Services page.
If you cannot find an answer, advice is available on the cost support phone helpline and chat. The phone helpline is open weekdays 9 am to 3 pm.
Decisions are announced on the State Treasury website
Cost support applications and decisions are announced on the State Treasury website. On the page you can check e.g. the status of your application or reporting data on applications and processing of these.
The page will appear shortly after the application process is launched.
