YEL Income

YEL insurance is the most important insurance for an entrepreneur, as the income from the insurance affects many things: your insurance payment, social benefits, and pension. Therefore, it is essential that the level of income corresponds as closely as possible to the actual value of your work input.

What is YEL Income?

YEL income refers to the monetary value of your work input. It does not directly mean the amount of salary you get from the company, your taxable income, your company's profit, or sales volume. YEL income considers the overall value of your entrepreneurial work input.
Factors that influence your YEL income include the size of your company, its turnover, and the industry. You can estimate your income by considering what you would earn as an employee in a similar role elsewhere.
Your YEL insurance payment and future pension are calculated based on your declared income. In addition to your employment pension, YEL income also affects the level of various social benefits and pensions, giving you financial security throughout your career.

Determining YEL Income

YEL income must realistically reflect your work input. Underestimating it can weaken your social security and pension, while overestimating will unnecessarily increase your insurance payments. As an entrepreneur, you should regularly update your YEL income according to changes in your entrepreneurial activity to ensure the correct pension accrual.

Where to start?

Income is defined as an annual amount estimated to correspond to your work input over 12 months. When assessing the size of the income, you can first consider the value of the work input monthly and then multiply that value by twelve (months).

The YEL calculator helps you assess the correct income. By entering your industry and estimated turnover, you receive a recommended income based on these factors. The recommendation also includes a so-called leeway within you can deviate from the recommended income without additional explanation. We will request additional information to confirm the income if you apply for income outside the recommended leeway.

The following factors are considered when determining YEL income:

The number of hours you work
Your company's industry
Your company's turnover or the total amount invoiced as a light entrepreneur
Any seasonality of your activity
The number of employees in your company

If you have multiple companies, your work input in all companies is considered collectively in the income. If you pay yourself a salary, the income should be at least equal to the salary paid.

Your income is confirmed considering your overall situation

Based on the information you provide, we conduct a comprehensive assessment that evaluates the factors mentioned as well as your individual situation. We conduct an assessment based on the information you provide and your unique circumstances. If necessary, we will request additional information to confirm your income.

In which situations is income changed?

If there are changes in your business activity that affect the amount of your work input, your income should be reassessed. Such a change could be, for example, your work becoming part-time or full-time. Income cannot be changed retroactively, so it is advisable to report changes as soon as possible.
Income cannot be changed based on your company's profitability, nor is it affected by temporary income fluctuations. The easiest way to report changes is through Elo's online service.

The YEL calculator is always a useful tool for assessing new income. YEL insurance professionals are also available to assist you (link to Contact Us section)

Income Reviews

Starting from 2023, pension companies have been reviewing entrepreneurs' incomes every three years to ensure they are up to date. When reviewing income, factors such as your company's turnover from the previous three years are considered.

We will contact you if your income is reviewed and propose a new income. You can influence the review of your income by responding to our proposal and providing information about the current scope and nature of your business activity.

Income Limits

The law defines lower and upper limits for YEL income, within which the income can be confirmed. Activity below the lower limit is considered too minor to meet the YEL insurance conditions.

Insurance lower limit: 9,423,09 € /year (2025: 9,208.43 € /year)
Eligibility for unemployment benefits: 15,481.00 € /year (2025: 15,128.00 € /year)
Insurance upper limit: 214,00.00 € /year (2025: 209,125.00 € /year)

To accumulate the entrepreneur's employment condition, the income must be at least the lower limit specified in the unemployment insurance law. The same minimum income is also a condition for membership in the Entrepreneur Fund.

Effect of the Wage Coefficient

YEL incomes and income limits are automatically adjusted at the turn of the year using the wage coefficient, which is confirmed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The wage coefficient ensures that your income remains at the level of general wage and price fluctuations.

However, it is important to note that as an entrepreneur, you must always report any changes in the scope of your business activity or work input. The easiest way to submit a change notification is through Elo's online service.