Why are Estonian accountants on strike?

Although the possibility of declaring has been open since the beginning of October, most accountants have been unable to fulfill their work duties in a reasonable time. The procedure for submitting declarations has been unreasonably complicated. The necessary technical systems are not functioning. The government has taken a course towards collecting data that is not necessary for taxation. Accountants were not involved as specialists in the development of the new procedure for submitting TSD. The public was provided with false information about the simplification and automation of the declaration process. According to the Tax and Customs Department, there are more than 89,000 employers in Estonia who declare and pay taxes on labor for 674,000 employees. A total of 2.2 billion euros in labor taxes is declared and paid quarterly, making accountants a critically important link between the state and taxpayers. "The task of accountants has always been to prepare accurate tax calculations based on the primary data and legislation. We disagree with the statement that declaring based on data is only starting now," said Riina Payula, Executive Director of Arvestusabi Osaühing. "The complication of tax collection processes does not serve the interests of either the state or entrepreneurs." Accountants participating in the strike will be present at their workplaces but will not submit the TSD declaration. Entrepreneurs will be informed of the tax amounts so that they do not incur any obligation to pay penalties. Other risks for entrepreneurs will also be reduced. The state will not be able to use the tax amounts until the TSD is submitted.