Opening a webshop in Finland: the legal checklist
Business ID and company form
You cannot sell in a business capacity in Finland without a business ID. In practice the choice is between a light entrepreneur service, a sole trader (toiminimi) and a limited company (osakeyhtiö).
- Toiminimi is fast and cheap to set up, but you are personally liable for debts
- Osakeyhtiö limits liability and looks more credible to suppliers and payment providers, at the cost of more administration
- Payment providers such as Paytrail and Klarna require a business ID and will run a credit check before opening an account
Register at the Business Information System (ytj.fi). Budget a few working days before payment contracts are approved.
VAT in a webshop
VAT registration is mandatory once turnover exceeds the small business threshold, and voluntary below it. Two things matter for a webshop specifically:
- Prices to consumers must be shown VAT included. The final total, including shipping, must be visible before the buyer commits
- Cross-border sales inside the EU fall under the distance selling rules. Above the EU wide threshold you charge the buyer country's VAT rate and report through the One Stop Shop scheme
Keep the VAT breakdown on the order confirmation. Your accountant will ask for it, and so will the tax authority in an audit.
The 14 day right of withdrawal
Distance selling to consumers in the EU carries a 14 day right of withdrawal. The buyer may return the goods without giving a reason, and the countdown starts when the goods are received.
What that means concretely for your shop:
- Publish the right of withdrawal in the terms, not buried in a PDF
- Provide a return instruction and a return address
- Refund within 14 days of receiving the return or proof of return, including the cheapest standard delivery cost you originally charged
- The exceptions are narrow: made to order goods, sealed hygiene products once opened, and digital content the buyer has explicitly started consuming
Do not invent your own rule such as "no returns on sale items". That clause is not enforceable against a consumer.
Terms of delivery and contract terms
Your terms of delivery are a contract. Written properly they also cut customer service load. Cover at least:
- Who is selling: company name, business ID, address, email and phone
- Prices, VAT and currency
- Available payment methods
- Delivery methods, costs and realistic delivery times
- Right of withdrawal and the returns process
- Warranty and complaints handling, with a pointer to the Consumer Disputes Board
Publish them at a fixed URL and link them from the footer and the checkout.
Privacy and cookies
A webshop always processes personal data, so GDPR applies from day one.
- A privacy notice describing what you collect, why, on what legal basis, how long you keep it and who else processes it (payment provider, shipping company, email platform)
- A cookie banner that loads no analytics or marketing tags before consent. A banner that only informs is not compliant
- A route for a customer to request their data or its deletion
- Data processing agreements with your key vendors
The technical side of consent is part of every shop we build as [verkkokaupan perustaminen](/verkkokauppa).
The checklist
- Business ID registered and company form chosen
- VAT position decided, prices displayed VAT included
- Terms of delivery published and linked
- Right of withdrawal documented and the returns process actually works
- Company and contact details visible on every page
- Privacy notice published
- Cookie consent blocking tags before acceptance
- Payment provider contract approved and tested with a real order
- Shipping contract in place and tracking wired to order confirmations
- Accounting integration or at least a clean export
Once the legal base is in place, the next questions are usually [which payment methods to offer](/blogi/verkkokaupan-maksutavat) and [what the whole build costs](/blogi/verkkokauppa-perustaminen-hinta-ja-aikataulu).
Want us to handle the build and leave you with just the paperwork? [Request a free quote](/yhteystiedot).
Frequently asked questions
Does a webshop need a business ID in Finland?
Yes. Selling in a business capacity requires a Finnish business ID. Payment providers such as Paytrail and Klarna also require one and run a credit check before opening an account.
How long is the right of withdrawal?
In consumer distance selling the right of withdrawal is 14 days from receiving the goods. Refunds must be made within 14 days of receiving the return or proof of return, including the cheapest standard delivery cost you charged.
Is a cookie banner that only informs enough?
No. Analytics and marketing cookies may only load after consent, and withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. An informational banner does not meet the requirement.
Published · Kaspar Eevald
Bluefour – Helsinki digital agency | hello@bluefour.fi | +358 45 850 4236