YEL income review

Your YEL income will change at the start of the second calendar month following the start of the review. When we begin reviewing your YEL income, you will receive a YEL income proposal from us. For example, if we send you a YEL income proposal in June, your new YEL income will come into effect at the start of August.

We will review your YEL income during the calendar year in which three years have passed since the start of your YEL insurance or since your YEL income was previously confirmed. 

For example, if your YEL income was previously confirmed as of 1 December 2023, your YEL income will be reviewed during 2026, when three years will have passed since the previous confirmation of your YEL income.

Changing your pension insurance company does not affect the review or its timing. The review obligation applies to all earnings-related pension insurance companies. If you want to change your pension insurance company, your new pension insurance company will carry out the review.

The YEL income review cannot be carried out retrospectively.

Your YEL insurance must be in force when the review becomes effective. This means that your YEL income will not be reviewed if, for example, your YEL insurance ends because of an old-age pension or for any other reason before the review starts.

If your YEL income changes, you will always receive a decision on the YEL income review, which you can appeal. You will receive the decision either by mail or via Varma Online Service if you have opted for the paperless service.

We will also inform you that your YEL income has been reviewed even if your YEL income does not change.

In reviews carried out between 2023 and 2028, i.e., during the so-called transition period, the YEL income can be increased by a maximum of EUR 4,000 in a single review at the initiative of the earnings-related pension insurance company.

However, if you believe that your YEL income should be higher than our proposal, you can respond to our YEL income proposal and share your own view of your YEL income. Based on the information you provide and the data available to us, we will assess whether your YEL income can be confirmed in accordance with your view. 

You can share your view on your YEL income and send us additional information about factors affecting your YEL income. You can easily respond to the proposal in Varma Online Service. We will take your view and the additional information you provide into account when assessing the level of your YEL income.

Based on the additional information you provide, our decision will be one of the following options: 

• Your YEL income remains unchanged 
• Your YEL income is confirmed at a lower level than our proposal 
• Your YEL income is confirmed in accordance with our proposal 

If your YEL income changes, you will always receive a decision which you can appeal. 

Your YEL income should correspond to the annual salary you would pay to another person with the same professional skills as yourself for the same work. The median salary in the sector is used as the basis for determining YEL income. In addition, in our assessment we take into account information regarding

• the amount and value of the self-employed person's work input
• the scope of the entrepreneurial activity
• the self-employed person's professional skills

For example, you can specify whether your entrepreneurial activity is seasonal, full-time or part-time, or whether you have employees.

Your voluntary pension insurance is not taken into account when determining the legal level of your YEL income.

You do not need to respond to the YEL income proposal if you accept the YEL income we have proposed or if you do not wish to submit additional information affecting your YEL income. If you do not respond to the proposal, you will receive a decision on your reviewed YEL income in accordance with our proposal, which you can appeal.

You can respond to the proposal easily and securely via Varma Online Service. If necessary, you can also request an extension to submit your information. However, requesting an extension does not affect the date from which we will review your YEL income.

In the YEL income reviews carried out between 2023 and 2028, the maximum increase of EUR 4,000 will only apply if the review is initiated by the earnings-related pension insurance company.

If you have already applied for or are applying for a change to your YEL income this year before the review, your YEL income will be confirmed at the statutory level. In this case, your confirmed YEL income may differ from what you applied for and increase by more than the maximum increase of EUR 4,000. A YEL income review initiated by the earnings-related pension insurance company will be carried out three years later at the earliest.

Your YEL income will not be reviewed if your YEL insurance is not valid, for example because of retirement or parental leave, at the beginning of the month in which your YEL income would change.

Once you have received a decision on your new YEL income, you will see your new YEL contribution in Varma Online Service.