7.7.2026 · Carl-Johan Westerlund · accounting-operations · 4 min read

Monthly Bookkeeping for a Finnish Oy: What the Owner Must Provide

A monthly checklist for a Finnish limited-company owner: sales, purchase documents, bank and card activity, payroll, VAT, contracts and shareholder transactions.

Monthly bookkeeping for a Finnish limited company works best when material moves continuously, not as a large folder sent at month-end. Sales, purchases, receipts, bank activity, payroll and shareholder transactions should follow one agreed rhythm.

An Oy is a legal person separate from its owners. Money paid to or by a shareholder needs a reason and the correct treatment—it cannot automatically be called a business expense or owner withdrawal.

The monthly checklist

Provide or connect:

all sales invoices, credit notes and other income
purchase invoices and card receipts
every company bank account, card and payment service
payroll changes, benefits and expense reimbursements before payday
shareholder-paid business costs and private purchases made with company funds
foreign purchases, EU sales and import documents
loan, leasing and major purchase agreements
explanations for unusual transfers and transactions without an obvious document

The accountant needs enough information to understand what was sold or bought, who paid, why money moved and whether the treatment involves VAT, salary, benefit, loan, dividend, fixed asset or ordinary expense.

Sales and money received

Sales invoices alone are not enough. The books must also show credit notes, cash or card sales, marketplace and payment-service settlements, and income received without a normal invoice. If a platform pays a net amount after fees, provide the detailed settlement report so gross sales, fees and receivable can be reconciled.

Purchases and receipts

For each material purchase, provide the actual invoice or receipt—not only a card slip or screenshot of the bank. The document should identify the seller, date, content, amount and VAT where applicable. Add the business purpose when it is not evident.

Capture the receipt at purchase time. Waiting for the accountant’s reminder increases the risk of a missing deduction, wrong VAT period or reopened month.

Bank accounts, cards and payment services

Connect every account used by the company, including savings, loan and foreign-currency accounts. List all business cards and users. For Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, Shopify Payments or similar services, provide settlement and fee reports—not only the bank deposit.

Transfers between the company’s own accounts must also be identifiable so they are not booked as income or expense twice.

Payroll and the owner

Payroll information follows the pay date and Incomes Register deadlines. Send working time, salary changes, benefits, bonuses, leave and reimbursements before the payroll cut-off.

For an owner, distinguish:

salary for work
tax-free expense reimbursement when conditions are met
repayment of a documented expense paid personally
shareholder loan or repayment
dividend based on a lawful distribution decision
private purchase paid by the company

These categories have different tax, payroll and company-law consequences. Tell the accountant before moving money when the basis is uncertain.

VAT and foreign transactions

Mark EU customer and supplier countries, VAT numbers, imports, exports and services bought from abroad. Reverse-charge treatment and EU sales reporting cannot be inferred reliably from the bank text alone.

Contracts, assets and financing

Send purchase agreements for vehicles and equipment, lease and finance agreements, loan schedules, grants and insurance compensation. A large payment may need to be recorded as an asset, liability or prepaid cost rather than an immediate expense.

Agree a close calendar

A workable schedule names:

the date receipts and sales must be complete
the payroll cut-off and pay date
the deadline for responding to missing-document questions
the accountant’s review and VAT filing date
the date monthly reports are released

Avoid these common mistakes

Sending only the bank statement.
Waiting for a reminder before uploading receipts.
Paying the shareholder without a decision or explanation.
Using the company card privately without marking the purchase.
Omitting payment-service settlement reports.
Sending payroll changes after salary has been paid.

Tulos.ai links bank events, documents and exception requests in the same workflow. It can identify missing evidence and prepare account and VAT suggestions, while the accountant reviews cases requiring judgement.

Also read Fixed-Price Limited-Company Accounting: Service Scope and Salary or Dividend for an Oy Owner in 2026.