In 2015 the following rates have changed: income tax rate, basic exemption, increased basic exemption in event of pension, monthly rate which is the basis for the minimum social tax obligation, and unemployment insurance premium rates.

• Income tax is withheld at the rate of 20%.
   
• Basic exemption is 154 euros per month (the recipient of the payment must make a corresponding application).
   
• Increased basic exemption in event of pension is 220 euros per month (only in the case of I and II pension pillars).
   
• Increased basic exemption in event of compensation for accident at work or occupational disease is 64 euros per month (the recipient of the payment must make a corresponding application).
   
• Social tax rate is 33%. Monthly rate which is the basis for the minimum social tax obligation is 355 euros (320 euros in 2014), which means that the minimum social tax obligation is 117.15 euros per month.
   
• Unemployment insurance premium rates are 1.6% for the employee (2% in 2014), and 0.8% for the employer (1% in 2014). The obligation to withhold an employee’s unemployment insurance premium (1.6%) ends when the employee reaches the pensionable age or on the last day of the month when early retirement pension is granted. The employer will still be obligated to pay unemployment insurance premiums at the rate of 0.8% established for the employer on wages paid to an employee who is of the pensionable age or to an employee who has been granted early retirement pension.

  Example: The premium will no longer be withheld for a male employee whose personal identification code starts with 35112… as of 01.01.2015 (pensionable age is 63 years). The premium will no longer be withheld for a female employee whose personal identification code starts with 45206… as of 01.02.2015 (pensionable age is 62 years and 6 months).
   

• Rate of contribution to the funded pension is either 2% or 3%. The obligation to withhold contributions to the funded pension and the rate of contribution applicable to a specific person in 2014–2017 can be checked on the basis of the person’s personal identification code or by making a mass enquiry. At the same address the final date of withholding a mandatory contribution to the funded pension in the case of elderly employees must be checked (the obligation to make mandatory contributions to the funded pension ends on 31 December of the year of the first redemption day of II pillar pension fund units). This means that if, for example, an employee who has reached the pensionable age started receiving funded pension payments in the middle of 2014, then II pillar contributions (2%) had to be withheld on payments made until 31 December 2014 and no contributions shall be withheld on payments made as of 1 January 2015. For employees who have reached the pensionable age but who continue to work and do not start receiving funded pension payments, the funded pension contributions are still calculated as usual.

As for calculating wages and other compensation for December 2014 as well as taxes (contributions) withheld and calculated thereon, it is important to remember that, according to the cash accounting principle, if the wages for December are paid in January, the taxes and contributions must be calculated at 2015 rates and declared on the TSD form submitted for January (date of submission 10 February 2015). But if the wages for December are paid in December 2014, the calculation/withholding of taxes and contributions is subject to 2014 rates and the taxes and contributions must be declared on the TSD form submitted for December 2014 (date of submission 12 January 2015).
 

Tõlke aluseks on maksu- ja tolliameti artikkel 2015. aasta maksumäärad ja maksuvaba tulu suurus. Artikkel on tõlgitud koostöös Sunny Galandrex Tõlkebürooga.