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SY: Transport taxation needs reform
The pillars of a reform to the funding and taxation of transport must be reasonable taxation, incentives for low-emission choices, and sufficient tax income for the state. This is the view of Suomen Yrittäjät, the Finnish SME association, in its transport programme.
Suomen Yrittäjät presents its views on the transport funding and taxation reform in its new transport programme.
“The tax take from sources such as fuel and vehicle tax has declined and come to rely more heavily on commercial transport. All transport users should contribute to the transport tax take, regardless of the energy source powering the vehicle,” says Sini Puntanen, a specialist at Suomen Yrittäjät.
“Transport costs, fuel taxes and road infrastructure have a direct impact on companies’ operating opportunities and competitiveness. It’s important for taxation to support enterprise and not place unreasonable burdens on business,” Puntanen says.
The Orpo Government’s analysis of the status quo is expected to be published in June, after which preparation of the reform will begin in earnest. Suomen Yrittäjät proposes that when taxation is reformed, the impacts of the changes are evaluated for various company types and industries, while also ensuring that no single industry bears an unreasonable tax burden.
Continued budget funding
“The state and municipalities must continue to ensure sufficient resources for traffic arteries’ maintenance and improvement, as functional infrastructure is essential for all business,” Puntanen says.
Suomen Yrittäjät stresses that transport infrastructure must continue to be a basic service primarily funded from the budget. The funding and taxation of transport should be separate, nor should funding be linked to transport taxation.
“Decisions on budget-funded transport infrastructure fall within the remit of cross-party decisions in Parliament. In the view of Suomen Yrittäjät, the Orpo Government should consider road tolls as part of a general reform of transport taxation, taking their impacts and applicability into account holistically,” Puntanen says.
Puntanen says that the general reform of transport funding and taxation require predictability to ensure businesses can prepare for the changes.
SY’s key stances
The board of Suomen Yrittäjät has approved a programme containing the association’s positions on the transport funding and taxation reform. The main principles of the programme are a reasonable tax burden, encouragement of low-emission transport, and sufficient tax income.
- Taxing transport and its negative impacts is less harmful for Finland’s economy and business growth than taxing work and property.
- Road tolls should be considered as part of the Orpo Government’s general reform of transport taxation.
- Transport infrastructure must continue to be a basic service primarily funded from the budget.
- Transport funding and taxation should be separate.
- Rising land value should not be a key means of funding the state’s transport investments.
- Finland’s international competitiveness must be maintained.
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