Measures to improve digital services in the Tax Administration required by the Deputy-Ombudsman

Deputy-Ombudsman Maija Sakslin stated that the Tax Administration had not offered its customers the possibility to send messages related to their service needs securely as provided in the Act on the Provision of Digital Services. In addition, the Tax Administration had not ensured the information security of the e-mail service it provided or the compliance of this service with the requirements of the Act even though it had already been expected to do this in an earlier decision.

The service principle also requires that, when organising their services, the authorities take into account customers’ needs and make sufficient services available. In the Deputy-Ombudsman’s view, the Tax Administration’s e-services did not meet the requirements of the Act and good governance in this respect.

Deputy-Ombudsman Sakslin stated that, in practice, the MyTax service is the Tax Administration's only secure electronic service channel, but it is not possible for customers to use it for sending questions or enquiries related to taxation. Because taxation matters are mainly confidential, the lack of a secure communication channel limits customers’ opportunities to manage their matters electronically.

The Deputy-Ombudsman drew the Tax Administration’s serious attention to compliance with the provisions on organising digital services to the public in the Act on the Provision of Digital Services and asked the Tax Administration to report by 29 January 2026 what measures the decision has given rise to.

The Deputy-Ombudsman’s decision no 4330/2025 has been published (in Finnish) on the website www.oikeusasiamies.fi.

Further information is available from Senior Legal Adviser Jyri Vesanto, tel. +358 9 432 3363.