Content from Yle's finances

Yle's operations are financed with tax revenue

Yle is a public service media company owned by the State of Finland and Finnish citizens.

Yle's operations are financed by an appropriation paid for by revenue from the public broadcasting tax. In addition, Yle receives revenue from programme activities, service sales, premises and equipment rentals, and other proceeds.

The funding received by Yle is reviewed annually. The basis for the review is a legally established index increase, which is intended to cover general increases in wages and costs. The increase is calculated from the cost of living and earnings index.

The Finnish Parliament decides on the Act on Yle Tax, which determines the amount of the Yle tax and who pays it. Yle does not decide on the tax or its amount.

The Yle tax is mandatory for persons over 18 years of age as well as for organisations engaged in business operations, vocational practice or agriculture in Finland.

• The Yle tax rate for private individuals changed on 1 January 2025. Yle tax amounts to 2.5 per cent of the total earned income and capital income, which exceeds EUR 15,150 (2024: EUR 14,000). Those who earn less than EUR 15,150 are exempt from paying the tax. The maximum tax per person is EUR 160 per year (EUR 163).

• The Yle tax rate for organisations is based on their taxable income. The Yle tax is not collected from organisations with a taxable income of less than EUR 50,000. If the taxable income for the tax year is at least EUR 50,000, the Yle tax to be paid is EUR 140 + 0.35 per cent for the portion exceeding the income limit, so that the maximum annual tax rate is EUR 3,000.

The State collects Yle tax as part of the taxation, and the appropriation paid to Yle is confirmed annually in Parliament’s budget preparation process. The Ministry of Finance will transfer an amount corresponding to the appropriation established by Parliament to the State Television and Radio Fund managed by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, from which the appropriation is then paid to Yle.

• Finnish Tax Administration: Public Broadcasting Tax and Åland Islands media fee

• Act on Yle Tax - Finlex (in Finnish)

How are tax revenues used?

We use our tax funding responsibly and conscientiously to fulfil Yle’s statutory duty.

Yle complies with the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts. The Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts does not apply to service contracts for programme activities, such as the procurement, development, production or co-production of programme material. The procurement contracts for programme activities contain the trade secrets of the contracting partners, which is why their details are not disclosed to the public. Trade secret is defined in the Trade Secrets Act.

Yle's principles of responsibility are applied in all procurements, and we also require our partners to act responsibly. For example, when procuring domestic content, our contracting partners commit to the creative sector’s responsibility model and and the partner's ethical guidelines.

Yle is only worthy of trust when it operates responsibly.

Yle's key figures 2024

Yle’s finances remained balanced in 2024. The result of the period was better than planned. This was due to the funding decisions made by the parliamentary working group on Yle, on the basis of which Yle immediately started taking cost-cutting measures.

• In 2024, all of Yle's revenues were EUR 548.4 million. The share of the appropriation based on the Yle tax was 98.4 percent of the income. In 2023, all revenues were 529,6 million euros.
• In 2024, Yle's total expenses were EUR 549.2 million. In 2023, all expenses were 525.3 million euros.
• In 2024, the result for the financial year was -0.8 million euros. In 2023, the result for the financial year was 4.3 million euros.
• In 2024, Yle spent 100.2 million euros on purchases of contents and services such as Finnish broadcasting rights, copyright royalties and music performance fees. In 2023, Yle spent 97.1 million euros on purchases of contents and services.

Yle payed value added tax to the central government on the appropriation it has received in accordance with the 10% tax rate.

Yle's profit for the financial year varies from year to year. This is due, for example, to major, high-profile sporting events, the rights of which Yle acquires for all Finns to see. Yle manages its finances so that annual fluctuations in profit cover each other, thus keeping the company's finances stable over the long term.

• In 2024, Yle's total expenses were EUR 549.2 million. All of Yle's revenues were EUR 548.4 million. The share of the appropriation based on the Yle tax was 98.4 percent of the income.
• Yle spent 255.4 million euros on personnel expenses, or 46,5 percent of expenses. Personnel costs include salaries, bonuses, pension costs and other personnel side costs, such as social security and unemployment insurance premiums. Of the 2,830 permanent seniors, 86 percent work in tasks directly related to content.
• Yle spent EUR 75,6 million on performance rights, or 13.8 percent of expenses. Broadcast rights include domestic and foreign program acquisition and sports rights.
• Yle spent EUR 18.6 million on fixed asset depreciation, or 3.4 percent of expenses. Fixed asset depreciation includes ICT and production technology, buildings and other fixed asset depreciation.
• Yle spent 64.8 million euros on program expenses, or 11.8 percent of the expenses. The costs of program activities include music and other performance compensations, production services for program activities and other services and supplies.
• Yle spent 31,5 million euros on distribution costs, or 5.7 percent of the costs. Distribution costs include TV, radio and broadband distribution, satellite and other distribution.
• Yle spent 46,4 million euros on technology costs, or 8.4 percent of the costs. Technology costs include technology consulting, software and maintenance, technology service purchases and telecommunication costs.
• Yle spent 24.1 million euros on rent and real estate expenses, or 4.4 percent of expenses. Rents and real estate expenses include land and space rents, heating, electricity, cooling, water, other rental and real estate expenses.
• Yle spent EUR 31.4 million on other expenses, or 5.7 percent of expenses. Other expenses include travel expenses, experts, consulting, research, voluntary personnel expenses, office expenses, small equipment purchases, representation and meeting expenses and other expenses.
• Yle spent EUR 1.5 million on financial income and expenses, or 0.3 percent of expenses.
• Source: Yle's financial statements 2024

Yle is a major funder of the Finnish creative sector

Yle generates value for people and Finnish society by acting as a major funder of the Finnish cultural sector. Through cooperation, we produce value not only for the entire media sector but also for our extensive partner network.

Yle's tax footprint applies to Finland as a whole. In 2024, our tax footprint totalled EUR 100.6 million, and it consisted of withholdings, statutory personnel contributions (e.g. sickness, accident and unemployment insurance contributions), VAT, real estate and other taxes.

Personnel costs

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• Read Yle's annual report and financial statements for 2024

• Yle’s invoicing instructions