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Intrastat burden in 2014

Publication date 2.2.2015 9.00 | Published in English on 20.1.2017 at 14.00
Press release

Intrastat declarations are used for collecting valuable information on the Finnish foreign trade with other EU countries. Finnish Customs compiles the official foreign trade statistics by combining the data on the trade between Finland and other EU countries with the data on the trade between Finland and non-EU countries, which is obtained from customs declarations. Completing Intrastat declarations is an extra workload for businesses that are providers of statistical information (PSIs). Customs aims to develop the Intrastat declaration process to reduce this burden.

In November 2014, Customs Statistics surveyed the Intrastat burden on businesses, and charted problem areas in providing the data. The previous survey was carried out in 2008. Both measurements were a part of EU funded projects.

In Finland, there are approximately 68 000 businesses trading in goods with other EU countries. Of these businesses, 5 716 were PSIs at the end of 2014. In 2008, the corresponding figure was 7 985.

In 2014, the businesses used 212.6 staff years in total on Intrastat declarations. In 2008, when the number of PSIs was higher and the number of those who provided the information electronically was lower, the businesses used 211.3 staff years on Intrastat declarations.

The time used for completing the Intrastat declaration had decreased, whereas the time used for the preparatory work for the Intrastat declaration had increased. Of the survey respondents, 34 per cent found the Intrastat declaration process to be easy. In 2008, the corresponding figure was 48 per cent. In 2014, a total of 47 per cent of the respondents found the Intrastat declaration process to be laborious, whereas in 2008, the corresponding figure was 33 per cent. Compared with 2008, the time used per community code line had doubled for businesses using paper forms, had remained the same for businesses using the TYVI service and had been reduced by two-third for businesses using other electronic declaration methods.

Finnish Customs, Statistics
Further information:
statistics Director Olli-Pekka Penttilä tel. +358 40 332 1862
Senior Customs Officer Pekka Tanhua tel. +358 40 332 2155
Statistics bulletin