Finnish Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (Finns), in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, said the government intends to decide on tax relief measures at its midterm budget session next week. This may include cuts to earned income taxes and possibly corporate taxes.
"I hope we’ll be able to implement a substantial tax reduction package," Purra told HS.
Purra said according to research, reducing the marginal tax rates for high-income Finns could increase work participation and accelerate growth. However, the reductions are expected to apply to other income groups as well.
"We are seeking a sensible overall approach both for economic growth and political approval," Purra said.
Purra said the government will base its decisions on the Ministry of Finance's assessments of the expected "dynamic effects" — how much the cuts are projected to pay for themselves through increased economic activity. These effects are expected to be especially strong when it comes to tax cuts for high-income earners.
According to Purra, tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners are, however, unlikely to generate similarly strong effects. As a result, the government will need to offset the cost through spending cuts or by raising taxes elsewhere.
In addition, the Petteri Orpo-led (NCP) government is also considering reducing corporate tax and easing or even eliminating inheritance tax.
Purra said she is more inclined to support cuts to corporate tax since Finland has suffered from slow growth as well as a "staleness and lack of freshness."
Nicotine addiction on the rise
Iltalehti reports that the use of nicotine pouches among 15–29-year-olds in Finland has surged from three percent to 10 percent in just a few years.
According to data from the Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention (EHYT), young people are increasingly viewing nicotine pouches more positively.
Kristiina Patja, a professor and specialist in nicotine addiction and its health effects told IL that she is deeply concerned about how many children and adolescents have already become dependent on new nicotine products.
She said parents who have long warned their kids about smoking don’t show the same level of concern toward vapes or nicotine pouches.
"Parents tend to be quite casual about them because they’re not technically cigarettes. That's pretty shocking. Nicotine is a neurotoxin — it's a dangerous substance," she said.
Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, or vapes, are also very popular among young people. According to EHYT, 55 percent of 15-17-year-old respondents reported that people in their social circles use nicotine vapes either daily or occasionally.
Nicotine pouches, which can be easily ordered online in Finland, contain up to 20 milligrams of nicotine per pouch. By comparison, a single cigarette contains only about one milligram of nicotine, just a fraction of that amount.
"This nicotine pouch epidemic is truly frightening. HUS emergency services are treating school-aged children who have nicotine poisoning," Patja said.
Shoplifting incidents up
Shoplifting is on the rise in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat reports, citing new data from Statistics Finland.
Preliminary figures show that around 16,300 shoplifting incidents were reported in the first quarter of 2025 — an increase of 22 percent compared to Q1 of last year.
According to HS, Helsinki in particular saw a surge, with an additional 1,500 cases than were reported a year ago.
The statistics agency noted that shoplifting has been on an upward trend since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. One key driver — the overall poor economic climate.
Mikko Länsiluoto, shopkeeper at K-Supermarket Postitalo in central Helsinki said alcohol is often stolen, but so is food — anything from candy to protein bars.
"It's worrying if this kind of behaviour is becoming more socially acceptable," Länsiluoto said.
According to HS, a similar shoplifting spike occurred in 2009, during the global financial crisis.
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