Finance & Taxes30 October 2026·4 min read·ISKV Kinnisvara

Taxes on Selling and Renting Real Estate in Estonia and the New Land Tax (Maamaks): An Owner's Guide

Before selling an apartment, summer cottage, or plot of land, property owners almost always ask their broker the same question: "Will I have to pay income tax after closing at the notary's office, and do I need to report the sale on my annual tax return with the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (Maksu- ja Tolliamet — EMTA)?"

Estonia's Income Tax Act (Tulumaksuseadus — TuMS) provides generous tax exemptions for homeowners, but it also enforces strict rules regarding holding periods and how the property was actually used. Let us break down the main scenarios in plain English.

Key Takeaway: Selling an apartment or house that you used immediately prior to the sale as your permanent or primary residence (alaline või peamine elukoht) is completely exempt from income tax — however, you can apply this exemption no more than once every 2 years. Selling a summer cottage or garden house (suvila või aiamaja) is also tax-exempt if you have owned it for more than 2 years.

1. When Is Selling Real Estate in Estonia Exempt from Income Tax?

Under Section 15(5) of the Income Tax Act (TuMS), capital gains from the sale of real estate are exempt from income tax in several key cases:

Basis for Tax Exemption	Key Conditions Verified by the Tax and Customs Board (EMTA)
*1. Sale of a Permanent or Primary Residence (Elukoht)*	You actually used the apartment or house as your residence right up until the sale. Important: Simply having your address registered in the Population Register (Rahvastikuregister) is not enough if you did not actually live there or if you rented the property out. This exemption applies to one sale within a 2-year period.
*2. Sale of a Summer Cottage or Garden House (Suvila või aiamaja)*	The property is a summer cottage or garden house, has been in your ownership for more than 2 years, and the size of the land plot does not exceed 0.25 hectares (2,500 m²).
3. Sale of Privatized or Restituted Property	If the apartment or land was acquired during the 1990s ownership reform (privatization) personally by you (note: if you received the property via a gift deed, the privatization tax exemption does not transfer to you!).

If your transaction fully qualifies under one of these exemptions, no income tax is due (and you do not need to report an exempt primary residence sale on your personal income tax return).

2. When Is Income Tax Due, and How Can You Legally Reduce the Taxable Amount?

Income tax liability arises when you sell real estate at a profit and the property was not your primary residence, for example:

A second (investment) apartment that you bought to flip or rented out;
An apartment received under a gift deed (kinkeleping) or by inheritance, if you did not personally live in it as your primary residence prior to the sale;
A second home sold less than 2 years after you already used the primary residence tax exemption on a previous sale.

How Is the Tax Calculated? (Tax Is Levied ONLY on Net Capital Gains, Not the Total Sale Price!)

Income tax is charged only on the capital gain from the transfer of property (kasu vara võõrandamisest), calculated using the formula:

Taxable Gain = Sale Price - Acquisition Cost - Documented Expenses

What can be deducted from the sale price (provided you have contracts, invoices, and bank statements):

The original price you paid to purchase the property;
Capital improvement and reconstruction expenses (replacing windows, electrical wiring, plumbing, or structural remodeling — but not routine cosmetic maintenance);
Costs directly related to the sale transaction: real estate brokerage fees, notary fees, and state fees.

Crucial Nuance — Gift, Inheritance and Purchase: If parents transfer an apartment to their child via a gift deed (kinkeleping), the child's "acquisition cost" is zero euros! If the child decides to sell that apartment without living in it as their primary residence, income tax will be payable on nearly the entire sale price. Therefore, it is always wise to consult a notary or tax adviser before transferring family property.

3. Renting Out an Apartment: How to Declare Rental Income

If you rent out residential property as a private individual and declare the income on your annual EMTA tax return:

Estonian law allows an automatic 20% deduction from gross rental income to cover maintenance and depreciation expenses (without needing to submit receipts);
Consequently, income tax is calculated on only the remaining 80% of the rent collected (utility bills reimbursed by the tenant strictly based on KÜ invoices and meter readings are not counted as taxable rental income).

4. Updated Land Tax (Maamaks) in Ida-Virumaa

Following the nationwide mass land valuation conducted by the Land and Spatial Development Board (Maa- ja Ruumiamet), assessed land values across Estonia were updated. Here is what owners of apartments, houses, and summer cottages in Narva, Sillamäe, and Kohtla-Järve should know:

For apartment owners in standard multi-family buildings, the annual land tax per apartment in Ida-Virumaa remains symbolic (often just a few euros per year).
Homeowner's Land Tax Exemption (Kodualuse maa maksusoodustus): The land beneath the building where your residence is officially registered in the Population Register as of January 1 of the tax year qualifies for a tax exemption or relief according to local municipality rules.
Annual Cap on Tax Increases: The law caps the maximum annual increase in land tax so that the transition to the new land valuations takes place gradually. You can check your land tax notice in the e-MTA portal.