The timing of the refund does not depend on the order in which tax returns were submitted. “We make tens of thousands of transfers every working day. Please be patient – everyone who is entitled to a refund of overpaid income tax will receive it as soon as possible,” said Madis Laas, Head of the ETCB's Income Tax Department.
As of the morning of 5 March 2026, more than 550,000 tax returns have been submitted to the Tax and Customs Board. Based on the submitted tax returns, the state will refund more than €161.6 million to over 420,000 people. According to the tax returns submitted so far, about 43,000 people will have to pay additional income tax amounting to nearly €24.7 million.
Due to the spread of fraudulent calls and emails, the ETCB emphasises that individuals do not need to take any action to receive their income tax refund. “If you receive a call or message claiming to be from the ETCB and directing you to open links or enter personal data in order to receive a refund, this is a scam and should be ignored. By logging into the e-services environment via our website emta.ee, you can check both your potential tax refund and any tax liabilities,” said Laas.
For clients who submitted their income tax return on paper, refunds will begin on 18 March. The final deadline for refunds is 1 October, the same as the deadline for paying additional income tax.
More information on submitting the income tax return for 2025 can be found on the website of the ETCB. The deadline for declaring last year's income is 30 April.
