Check that your documents are valid, and you have your PIN codes before submitting an income tax return

The Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB), the Tax and Customs Board (ETCB) and the Information System Authority (RIA) would like to remind you to check the validity of documents and the existence of PIN codes before declaring income.

“There is no need to rush to declare your income, as you have until 30 April to do so,” said Britta Kase, eService Manager of the ETCB. “However, in order to have valid documents and PIN codes by the time of submitting the tax return, you should check them now and get them extended, if necessary.”

If your ID-card has expired, you should first apply for a new one at the PBGB self-service portal at iseteenindus.politsei.ee. “If the person has a proper photo, specimen signature and fingerprints, it will only take a few minutes to apply for a document in the self-service portal. If there is no photo, signature, or fingerprints, you can get them taken in a speed capture kiosk at a PBGB service office. There is no need to book an appointment to use the speed capture kiosk and after the procedures in the kiosk, you can continue the application process in the self-service portal,” said service owner Marit Abram of the Identity and Status Bureau of the PBGB.

Abram explained that if an ID-card is valid, but the PIN codes are lost, it is also possible to use Smart-ID or Mobile-ID to log in to the self-service environment of the Tax and Customs Board. “If these login options are available, it is worthwhile to use them, as you need to go to a PBGB service office and pay a state fee of 5 EUR in order to get new PIN codes for the ID-card,” Abram added.

Silvia Lips, an expert at RIA’s eID department, stressed that in addition to valid documents and PIN codes, access to e-services requires secure and functioning devices and systems. “You should definitely use the latest ID-software, which can be found and downloaded from the ID-card website www.id.ee, both for submitting an electronic income tax return as well as for all the other e-services. It is worth checking your computer’s anti-virus systems and updating them to the latest version as well,” explained Lips.

The easiest and most convenient way to declare income for 2023 is via e-MTA self-service environment, which can be accessed with a valid ID-card, Smart-ID or Mobile-ID and valid PIN codes. e-ID users from EU Member States will be able to access the e-MTA if they have an e-ID that meets the requirements. Logging into the e-MTA is done using the State Authentication Service TARA (except for Mobile-ID).