Skip to content

Two-stage declaration procedure

VAT-registered importers can lodge the tax border declaration using the one-stage declaration procedure and also using the two-stage periodic declaration procedure.  

In the two-stage declaration process,

  • the importer makes an entry in the records upon receipt of the goods and
  • submits a periodic declaration to Customs no later than at the end of the following calendar month.

Instructions for submitting customs declarations

The starting point: The transport company or other transporter has submitted a presentation notification for the goods.

The importer registers the goods as arrived and keeps a list of the goods that have arrived, e.g. in the warehouse records or in some other records. There are no formal requirements for other records, they can be e.g. in the form of an excel spreadsheet. The records can also be hand-written.

The entry in the records must contain at least the following details:

  • The reference number of the presentation notification, the transport document identifier or invoice identifier provided upon presentation, or some other identifier with which the presentation notification can be found in Customs’ system (e.g. how the notification was submitted, when and by whom)
  • Running number
  • The date when the transport company handed over the possession of the goods to the consignee. The registered date determines the month to be provided in the periodic declaration.

If the importer is not notified of the presentation notification by the transport company, the transport company that brought in the goods shall be entered in the records as the submitter of the presentation notification.

If the importer has decided that the goods will be delivered directly to another consignee, it is still the responsibility of the importer to register the goods as arrived on the day when the transport company handed over the possession of the goods to the consignee.


Submit the periodic declaration (tax border declaration) via the Customs Clearance Service or via message exchange no later than on the last day of the month following the month of import.

In the periodic declaration, provide the details of the goods received from an individual seller in no more than one calendar month. One calendar month may have several declarations per seller. However, details of goods for a consignment-specific customs declaration has already been lodged shall not be provided in the periodic declaration.

Lodge the periodic declaration separately for each seller so that one periodic declaration contains a summary of the details of goods received from an individual seller during the period covered by the declaration. The additional information code “FITIJ – Import across the national tax border, periodic declaration” must also be provided in the periodic declaration. As the description, enter the month for which the declaration is lodged, in the format mm/yyyy.


Magazine subscriptions 

When a VAT-registered company or organisation receives newspapers or magazines from another EU country or from other parts of Finland to Åland, a tax border declaration must be submitted. The company can declare the issues for the whole subscription period at the same time.

You do not have to submit a tax border declaration for membership magazines from organisations or for magazines that are free of charge, such as advertisement catalogues.

Postal consignments

A two-stage national tax border declaration can also be lodged for postal consignments where the consignee is a VAT-registered company.

Read more