Information about light entrepreneurship to Ukrainian refugees
The OP Light Entrepreneur service is a digital accounting firm that allows you to invoice and get paid for your work as a self-employed person with a business ID. We can register a Finnish business ID for you free of charge and offer an easy way to find work as a self-employed person. OP Light Entrepreneur takes care of accounting and paperwork for you.
You can sign up for the service if:
- you are at least 18 years old
- you have a permanent residence in Finland (or a valid residence permit, if you have moved to Finland from abroad)
- you have an online bank user ID with a Finnish bank that you can use for electronic authentication.
- you work in Finland
More information about online bank user IDs for Ukrainian refugees
Ukrainian refugees can be issued a user ID to OP online banking services, but this does not directly entitle you to sign up for the service due to restricted access rights.
Signing up for the service requires an identity document (passport or ID card) issued in an EEA country or Finland. Signing up for the service requires a strong authentication method, which unfortunately cannot be issued based solely on a Ukrainian passport.
Our service takes care of:
- your company’s tax filing (income tax return from business activities and VAT return)
- accounting
- professional assistance via chat in Finnish and English
- other legal obligations so that you can focus on what you do best – your work.
Restrictions and features of our service for immigrants to Finland
For the time being, our service interface is only available in Finnish. Despite this, many of our customers use the OP Light Entrepreneur service with a browser translator add-on, such as Google Translate.
Our Customer Service is available in Finnish and English on weekdays 8–16 in matters related to self-employment and use of the service. Go to the customer service chat.
Invoicing through our service is possible only in Finland. International invoicing is not possible for customers of our service. If you are unsure whether your work involves international sales, contact our experts and we will review your situation.
The OP Light Entrepreneur service is intended only for self-employed persons with no employees. The service cannot process employees’ wages. However, you can subcontract labour in the form of purchased services and products from other businesses.
We want to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees and other immigrants to Finland to invoice for their work, and cooperation with the Enterprise Agencies seemed like a natural way forward. We feel that the cooperation is most beneficial to self-employed persons themselves.Lassi Leppänen, Specialist, OP Light Entrepreneur
What is the OP Light Entrepreneur service?
- As a self-employed person, you can work and invoice clients through our service – including both private and business customers
- The service takes care of reporting and paying taxes to the Finnish Tax Administration
- Your earnings after taxes and expenses are paid to your account like a salary.
- Focus on your work and let us do the rest!
How to get started with the service
1. Obtain an EEA country passport or ID card
After you have obtained a passport or ID card from an EEA country, you can apply for an online bank user ID from OP or another bank. Your bank user ID functions as an authentication method for digital services.
2. Sign up for the OP Light Entrepreneur service via the link at the bottom of this page
Outgoing and incoming bills and payments are automatically entered in bookkeeping. We automatically make the appropriate tax deductions as you add business expenses.
Follow the signup instructions in the OP Light Entrepreneur service.
3. Need assistance? Contact our customer service chat while logged in the OP Light Entrepreneur service
You can message us at any time, and we will reply between 8.00 and 16.00 on weekdays.
The chat window opens via the chat icon on the bottom right corner. The service is available in Finnish and English.
4. Send your first invoice by selecting Uusi lasku (New invoice)
After signing up, you can begin invoicing through the OP Light Entrepreneur service right away.
Starting a business directly on the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) website
You can also set up a business ID on the Finnish Patent and Registration Office website if you prefer to handle your accounting yourself or use an accounting firm.
Persons arriving from Ukraine can set up a business ID after receiving a temporary protection order from the Finnish Immigration Service. Starting a business requires a Finnish personal identity code, which is provided with the decision by the Finnish Immigration Service.