Tax Deadlines in Estonia
The complete Estonian tax filing calendar for OÜs: every monthly, quarterly, annual, and event-driven deadline, the consequences of missing each one, and how we ensure every filing is submitted on time through the EMTA e-Tax portal.
Why Estonian Tax Deadlines Are Absolute
EMTA imposes interest at 0.06% per day from the first day after the deadline. There is no reminder, no warning letter before interest starts, and no automatic extension. If TSD is due on the 10th and you file on the 11th, one day’s interest has already accrued on any unpaid tax.
At 0.06% per day, interest on an unchanged outstanding tax amount corresponds to 21.9% over 365 days. €10,000 of unpaid VAT left for one year costs €2,190 in interest alone – on top of the original tax debt. This makes EMTA the most expensive creditor an Estonian OÜ can have.
A VAT-registered OÜ must file a nil KMD return by the 20th every month, even in months with zero transactions. Failure to file a required nil VAT return may lead to enforcement measures or a penalty; there is no automatic €200 minimum fine. The obligation is to the filing, not only to the tax payment.
Under Estonian tax law, when a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day. For example, if the 10th falls on Sunday, the TSD deadline is Monday the 11th. EMTA confirms current-year deadline dates on emta.ee.
The 30 June annual report deadline is enforced by the Business Register (äriregister), not EMTA. The consequence of missing it – eventually company strike-off – is irreversible without a reinstatement application. Banks and partners monitor Business Register filings.
With professional accounting, every deadline is tracked, and every filing is submitted on time. Our clients have never received an EMTA interest charge or annual report penalty because we file before the deadline, every time, without exception.
The single most important tax compliance habit for an Estonian OÜ: treat the 10th and 20th of every month as inviolable. TSD by the 10th. KMD by the 20th. Miss either and interest accrues immediately. The annual report by 30 June is the third critical date. Everything else – OSS quarterly, dividend TSD, non-resident payment TSD – is triggered by events. Professional accounting ensures all three fixed deadlines are never missed.
Complete Tax Deadline Calendar
Every Estonian OÜ filing obligation – deadline, who it applies to, and consequence
Full Reference Calendar
The table below summarises the main filing deadlines that may apply to an Estonian OÜ. Specific obligations depend on the company’s activities and registrations. Deadlines and consequences highlighted. The ‘Applies When’ column shows the trigger. Not all OÜs face all obligations every month.
| Deadline | Declaration / Filing | Filed By | Applies When | Consequence of Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th monthly | TSD, or tulu- ja sotsiaalmaksu deklaratsioon | Employer OÜ | Any month with salary, board fees, dividends, fringe benefits, or non-resident payments | 0.06% daily interest on unpaid tax from the day after the payment deadline. A fine of up to €3,200 may be imposed on an OÜ; no automatic €200 minimum. A separate non-compliance levy may apply after an EMTA warning. |
| 20th monthly | KMD, or käibemaksudeklaratsioon (VAT return) | VAT-registered OÜ (KM-kohustuslane) | Every month from date of VAT registration, even nil returns | 0.06% daily interest on unpaid tax from the day after the payment deadline. A fine of up to €3,200 may be imposed on an OÜ; no automatic €200 minimum. A separate non-compliance levy may apply after an EMTA warning. |
| Before 1st day of work | Töötamise register, or employment register | OÜ hiring a new employee | Before each new hire’s first day of work | Failure to register employment correctly may result in enforcement measures or penalties and may affect the accuracy of the employee’s social security records. |
| Last day of the month following the quarter | OSS quarterly return, or One-Stop-Shop VAT | OÜ registered for OSS | Q1: by 30 April; Q2: by 31 July; Q3: by 31 Oct; Q4: by 31 Jan | Interest on unpaid VAT; possible OSS deregistration |
| Last day of the following month | IOSS monthly return, or Import OSS | OÜ registered for IOSS | Every calendar month; file and pay by the last day of the following month. | Interest on unpaid import VAT; IOSS deregistration |
| 30 April | Tulumaksudeklaratsioon, or individual income tax return | Estonian tax-resident individuals; FIE (sole traders) | All tax-resident individuals with income not fully taxed at source | Fine; EMTA assessment; loss of potential refund |
| 30 June (or 6 months after year-end) | Majandusaasta aruanne, or annual report to Business Register | All Estonian OÜs, ASs, and legal entities, including inactive | Every year, without exception, even nil-activity companies | Fines may be imposed without prior warning and repeated. Deletion may follow if the registrar’s additional deadline is missed, at least three months have passed since the statutory deadline, and the other legal conditions for deletion are met. |
| 10th of following month | TSD Annex 7, dividends and other profit distributions | OÜ distributing dividends | Month of dividend payment | 0.06%/day from 11th on unpaid distribution tax |
| 10th of following month | TSD Annex 2, non-resident income payment | OÜ paying reportable income, such as royalties, to non-residents. Dividends are reported on TSD Annex 7 and INF 1. | Month of the reportable payment | 0.06% daily interest on unpaid tax from the day after the payment deadline. Any withholding tax depends on the payment and applicable exemption or treaty relief. |
| Within three working days after the registration obligation arises | KM-R, VAT registration application | OÜ whose qualifying turnover with a place of supply in Estonia exceeds €40,000 from the start of the calendar year | When qualifying turnover with a place of supply in Estonia exceeds €40,000 from the start of the calendar year | VAT is assessed from the date the registration obligation arose; interest runs from the day after the relevant tax payment deadline. |
| On event | Töötamise register update: employment status change | OÜ with employees | Update the Employment Register when a change occurs that affects information required to be recorded in the register, including termination of employment. | Fine; employment register inaccuracy creates audit exposure |
Which Deadlines Apply to Your OÜ
Monthly obligations mapped to common Estonian OÜ profiles
Monthly Deadline Matrix by OÜ Profile
Your specific monthly obligations depend on your OÜ’s activities. The matrix below shows which filings are triggered for each common OÜ profile. Use this to quickly identify your specific compliance requirements.
| OÜ Profile | TSD by 10th | KMD by 20th | OSS Qtrly | Annual Report | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New OÜ, no employees, no VAT, no dividends | – | – | – | ✓ by 30 June | Nil activity still requires annual report; no EMTA monthly filings |
| OÜ pays board member fee to director | ✓ Annex 1 | – | – | ✓ by 30 June | TSD due every month a board fee is paid; even for a single payment |
| OÜ with 1 employee on payroll | ✓ Annex 1 | – | – | ✓ by 30 June | TSD every month; töötamise register before first day |
| VAT-registered OÜ, no employees | – | ✓ monthly | – | ✓ by 30 June | KMD due every month from registration, even nil KMD returns |
| VAT-registered OÜ with 2 employees | ✓ Annex 1 | ✓ monthly | – | ✓ by 30 June | Both TSD by the 10th and KMD by the 20th each month |
| OÜ selling digital services to EU B2C customers (OSS) | – | ✓ monthly | ✓ quarterly | ✓ by 30 June | OSS quarterly by the last day of the following month; KMD monthly if registered for Estonian VAT. |
| OÜ distributes dividends in March | ✓ Annex 7 + INF 1 | – | – | ✓ by 30 June | TSD Annex 7 and INF 1 due by 10 April for a dividend paid in March. |
| OÜ pays royalties to UK company in May | ✓ Annex 2 | – | – | ✓ by 30 June | TSD Annex 2 due by 10 June; WHT at applicable DTT rate |
| Active OÜ: employees + VAT + OSS + dividends | ✓ Annex 1 (resident employees), Annex 2 (non-resident employees, if applicable), Annex 7 + INF 1 (dividends) | ✓ monthly | ✓ quarterly | ✓ by 30 June | All obligations active; full professional accounting required |
A newly registered OÜ with no employees, no VAT registration, and no distributions has exactly one mandatory filing per year: the annual report (majandusaasta aruanne) by 30 June. Even if the OÜ had zero transactions, zero revenue, and zero costs, the annual report must be filed. This is the minimum obligation under Estonian company law. Everything else – TSD, KMD, OSS – is triggered by business activity. Getting the annual report filed correctly and on time is the first and most fundamental compliance task.
The Cost of Missing Deadlines
What EMTA charges and how quickly it compounds
Interest Accumulation: 0.06%/Day on Any Outstanding Tax
The table below shows how quickly EMTA interest compounds on unpaid tax. The rate applies to any underpaid or late-paid TSD, KMD, or distribution tax. It also applies to back-assessed WHT and VAT. The final column shows the real business cost in context. Compare these figures against the cost of professional accounting that prevents them.
| Days Late | Interest on €1,000 | Interest on €5,000 | Real Business Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | €0.60 | €3.00 | One missed KMD payment date: one day costs €3 on €5,000 outstanding |
| 7 days | €4.20 | €21.00 | One week late on payroll taxes: €21 on €5,000, more than the cost of a short call to sort it |
| 30 days | €18.00 | €90.00 | One month late: €90 on €5,000, which exceeds one hour of professional accounting advice |
| 90 days | €54.00 | €270.00 | Three months late: €270 on €5,000, which approaches the annual report cost |
| 180 days | €108.00 | €540.00 | Six months: €540 on €5,000, almost two months of full accounting fees |
| 365 days (1 year) | €219.00 | €1,095.00 | One year late: approximately €1,095 interest on €5,000 at 0.06% per day, assuming the outstanding principal remains unchanged; higher than credit card APR |
| 730 days (2 years) | €438.00 | €2,190.00 | Two years: €2,190 on €5,000 plus the original unpaid tax; total liability €7,190 |
Additional Fines, On Top of Interest
| Filing Type | Minimum Fine | Maximum Fine | Triggered By |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSD, late filing (tulu- ja sotsiaalmaksu deklaratsioon) | No automatic €200 minimum | Up to €3,200 for an OÜ under Taxation Act § 154; a separate non-compliance levy may also apply where provided by law. | Late TSD filing; a fine requires the applicable misdemeanour procedure and is not automatic. |
| KMD, late filing (käibemaksudeklaratsioon) | No automatic €200 minimum | Up to €3,200 for an OÜ under Taxation Act § 154; a separate non-compliance levy may also apply where provided by law. | Late KMD filing, including a required nil return; a fine is not automatic. |
| Employment register violation (töötamise register) | No automatic €200 minimum | Up to €3,200 for an OÜ under Taxation Act § 154; a separate non-compliance levy may also apply where provided by law. | Failure to register employment or comply with required updates; a fine is not automatic. |
| Annual report, failure to file (äriregistrile esitamata) | A fine may be imposed without prior warning | Repeated court fines; compulsory dissolution or deletion may also follow under the statutory conditions. | Fines may be imposed without prior warning and repeated. Deletion may follow if the registrar’s additional deadline is missed, at least three months have passed since the statutory deadline, and the other legal conditions for deletion are met. |
| VAT registration, failure to register when required | No automatic €200 minimum | Up to €3,200 for an OÜ under Taxation Act § 154; a separate non-compliance levy may also apply where provided by law. | Failure to register for VAT when required; VAT is also assessed from the registration-obligation date, with interest on overdue tax. |
The most severe consequence of missed Estonian tax deadlines is not a fine but company dissolution. A late annual report may result in fines and the registrar may initiate compulsory dissolution or deletion proceedings if the report remains unfiled after the additional deadline set by the registrar. Restoration or continuation options depend on the legal basis and stage of the dissolution or deletion proceedings; avoid stating a universal €500–€2,000 reinstatement cost. The annual report is a mandatory annual compliance obligation and should be filed within six months after the end of the financial year, and the most expensive to miss.
Annual Report Timeline
From year-end to 30 June filing: the step-by-step process
How We Prepare and File Your Annual Report
The majandusaasta aruanne (annual financial statements) must be filed with the Business Register by 30 June for OÜs with a 31 December financial year-end. For companies with a non-December year-end, the deadline is 6 months after the financial year-end date. The process runs from January to June for a December year-end company.
The financial year ends on 31 December for most OÜs. From January, the bookkeeping for the full year is reconciled, all December entries are posted, and the trial balance is finalised. Do not wait until June to start! Annual reports prepared in a rush have more errors.
Review all 12 months of bookkeeping. Bank accounts reconciled for each month. VAT position verified against all KMD filings. Payroll costs matched to TSD declarations. Any corrections from prior months are posted. Opening balances for the new year confirmed.
Annual report prepared in Merit Aktiva: balance sheet (bilanss), income statement (kasumiaruanne), notes to the accounts (lisad), and management board report (tegevusaruanne). For micro-entities, a simplified format applies. Review with the OÜ owner for any corrections or queries.
The signed annual report requires the signature of the management board member (juhatuse liige). Signature is electronic using an e-ID card, Mobile ID, or Smart-ID via DigiDoc4. The signed .bdoc container is the legally valid signed annual report.
The completed, signed annual report is filed through the e-Äriregister portal. For most OÜs: 30 June deadline (6 months after 31 December year-end). If the financial year does not end on 31 December, the deadline is 6 months after the financial year-end date.
EMTA does not directly enforce annual report deadlines; the Business Register (äriregister) does. After the statutory filing deadline, the registrar may impose fines and set an additional deadline for submission; continued non-compliance may lead to compulsory dissolution or deletion proceedings. Banks may also flag and close accounts of companies with overdue annual reports.
What the Annual Report Contains
| Section | Required For | Contents | Format Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance sheet (bilanss) | All OÜs | Assets (fixed, current), liabilities (short-term, long-term), equity (share capital, retained earnings) | RTJ or IFRS: specific line items per Estonian Business Register requirements |
| Income statement (kasumiaruanne) | All OÜs | Revenue, operating expenses, operating profit, financial items, pre-tax profit/loss | Estonian Accounting Act income statement layout 1 (expenses by nature) or layout 2 (expenses by function); IFRS requirements apply if IFRS is used. |
| Notes to the accounts (lisad) | All OÜs, including micro-entities; reduced disclosures apply to abridged accounts. | Accounting policies, related party transactions, contingent liabilities, other disclosures | Extensive for full reports; minimal for micro-entities |
| Management board report (tegevusaruanne) | All except micro-entities | Business description, key developments, risks, future plans | Narrative text; no prescribed format but must cover material matters |
| Cash flow statement | Required for full annual accounts. Micro-entities and small entities using abridged accounts under the Estonian financial reporting standard are exempt. | Operating, investing, financing cash flows | Direct or indirect method |
| Statement of changes in equity | Required for full annual accounts. Micro-entities and small entities using abridged accounts under the Estonian financial reporting standard are exempt. | Movements in share capital, retained earnings, other equity components | Tabular format; shows opening/closing equity and changes |
What to Do If You Have Missed a Deadline
Acting immediately is always better than waiting
Action Plan by Deadline Missed
| Deadline Missed | Immediate Action | What We Do | Expected EMTA Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSD not filed by 10th | File the TSD immediately, today | We calculate the correct declaration amounts, prepare TSD, and file electronically | 0.06% daily interest on unpaid tax from the day after the payment deadline. A fine of up to €3,200 may be imposed on an OÜ; no automatic €200 minimum. A separate non-compliance levy may apply after an EMTA warning. |
| KMD not filed by 20th | File the KMD immediately | We prepare the VAT return from bookkeeping data and file; pay outstanding VAT | 0.06% daily interest on unpaid tax from the day after the payment deadline. A fine of up to €3,200 may be imposed on an OÜ; no automatic €200 minimum. A separate non-compliance levy may apply after an EMTA warning. A required nil return must still be filed, but a fine is not automatic. |
| Annual report overdue | File as soon as possible; every month adds risk | We reconstruct bookkeeping if needed, prepare the annual report, and file | Fines may be imposed without prior warning and repeated. Deletion may follow if the registrar’s additional deadline is missed, at least three months have passed since the statutory deadline, and the other legal conditions for deletion are met. |
| TSD Annex 7 / INF 1 not filed for a dividend distribution | File immediately and pay distribution tax | We calculate the 22/78 corporate income tax, complete TSD Annex 7 and INF 1, and file the required reporting with EMTA. | 0.06%/day from 11th on unpaid distribution tax; voluntary correction treated well |
| VAT registration not obtained when required | Apply for VAT registration immediately and notify EMTA | We complete the KM-R application, calculate back-due VAT, and file missing KMD returns | EMTA back-assesses VAT from threshold date with interest; proactive disclosure is significantly better than audit discovery |
If an error or missed filing is identified, it should be corrected promptly. The consequences depend on the circumstances, including whether EMTA has already initiated control proceedings; do not guarantee that voluntary correction eliminates penalties. Once EMTA initiates a review of a specific period, the opportunity to voluntarily correct that period closes.