Source: https://rivet.global/blog/finland-e-invoicing-right-and-foreign-clients
Published: 2026-09-16 · Updated: 2026-09-16 · By William Sunjo M.

# Finland's right to e-invoices and what it means for foreign clients and suppliers

Finnish businesses can demand e-invoices under the 2020 law. How verkkolasku addresses work, what applies to foreign suppliers and clients, and payment details.

## Key takeaways

- Under Finland's Act on Electronic Invoicing, a business or public body can require an e-invoice from a supplier, with an exception for very small suppliers.
- Finnish e-invoices travel through operators using e-invoice addresses (OVT codes) or the Peppol network.
- Foreign suppliers asked by a Finnish client usually comply through Peppol or the client's operator.
- Foreign clients are not bound by the Finnish law; invoices to them need clear foreign-currency payment details more than a format.

A Tampere industrial IoT company invoices three kinds of clients. Finnish clients receive e-invoices through its operator, addressed with an OVT code. A Swedish distributor receives them through Peppol. A client in Ohio receives a PDF, pays by international wire two weeks late, and the amount lands short.

## Finland's e-invoicing right

Finland passed its Act on Electronic Invoicing in 2019, with the main rule in force from April 2020. It gives every business and public contracting entity the right to require e-invoices from its suppliers. Suppliers with annual turnover of €10,000 or less are exempt.

The request must be made explicitly. In practice most Finnish companies above a small size now send and receive e-invoices through operators, with addresses based on the business ID.

## How the invoices travel

Two networks matter:

- Finnish operator networks, with e-invoice addresses such as OVT codes. Operators exchange invoices with each other.
- Peppol, the international network used across Europe. Finnish operators connect to it, so a Peppol-capable foreign supplier or client can exchange invoices with a Finnish company.

## Foreign suppliers

A foreign supplier billing a Finnish client may be asked for e-invoices. The law's reach over a business established abroad is limited, but the commercial reality is that the client's accounts system is built for e-invoices. Peppol is the usual answer.

## Foreign clients

The Finnish law does not bind foreign clients. A company in Ohio does not have a Finnish e-invoice address and does not need one. What it needs is an invoice its accounts payable team can process and pay without friction:

1. Prices and totals in its currency, usually dollars.
2. The VAT treatment: for most services to businesses outside the EU, no Finnish ALV, with the reason stated.
3. Payment details it can pay domestically.

For EU business clients, add both VAT numbers and the reverse charge wording.

## Payment details that work

A US client paying a Finnish IBAN sends an international wire. It may lose intermediary fees and is converted at the receiving bank's rate. US account details in your company's name let the client pay by ACH instead, in full, in dollars.

## Paying into Finland: the local rail

| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | SEPA Instant Credit Transfer |
| Run by | European Payments Council scheme, run by each bank |
| Settlement | Under ten seconds, 24/7 |
| Published fee | By the EU Instant Payments Regulation, no more than the bank charges for a standard SEPA transfer |

Source: [European Payments Council: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/what-we-do/sepa-instant-credit-transfer). Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

## Where Rivet fits

Rivet is not an e-invoice operator. A Rivet business account gives a Finnish Oy US account details in its own name on every plan, and euro details with an IBAN plus sterling details from the Growth plan. Payments are matched to invoices, and balances can be held or converted at a rate shown before you confirm. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds.

## Questions

### Can a Finnish client require an e-invoice from me?

Yes, under the Act on Electronic Invoicing for Contracting Entities and Traders, unless your annual turnover is €10,000 or less. The request must be explicit.

### What is an OVT code?

A Finnish organisation identifier used as an e-invoice address, built from the business ID (Y-tunnus). Your operator assigns your receiving address.

### Do I send e-invoices to foreign clients?

Only if they ask and can receive them, often through Peppol. Most foreign clients accept PDFs.

### What VAT wording goes on invoices to EU businesses?

For most services, no Finnish ALV. Show both VAT numbers and state that the reverse charge applies.