DrinkData (BlueBell Markets Ab Ltd) has today submitted a memorandum to the Finnish Parliament’s Social Affairs and Health Committee regarding Government Proposal HE 131/2025 on cross-border alcohol distance sales. The memorandum was delivered both in Finnish and Swedish to the committee, its members, and the Minister of Social Affairs and Health.
The purpose of the memorandum is to clarify an important misconception currently influencing the public discussion: the behavior of today’s “distance sellers” does not reflect how the market will function once the new legislation enters into force.
Current Market Does Not Represent the Future
In recent statements, authorities have noted that foreign alcohol distance sellers often fail to comply with Finnish tax obligations. While this may be accurate regarding current operators, DrinkData emphasizes that these businesses are not representative of the future regulated market.
Today’s market largely consists of companies operating in the grey area between distance purchase and distance sale. Their business models are often built around regulatory ambiguity, and many do not register for Finnish excise tax obligations.
This situation is expected to change significantly if HE 131/2025 is adopted.
New Law Will Bring New, Compliant Operators
DrinkData’s memorandum highlights that the new legislation will enable a new category of compliant market participants, including:
- Estonian alcohol e-commerce retailers
- Central European wine merchants
- wineries and producers
- EU-based regulated distance sellers
- specialty beverage distributors
For these companies, operating legally and paying taxes in the destination country is standard business practice. Registration and compliance are not obstacles — they are prerequisites for market entry.
DrinkData believes that while current grey-model operators may continue operating outside the system, they should not be used as the benchmark when evaluating the future regulatory framework.
DrinkData’s Role in Supporting Compliance
The memorandum also outlines how DrinkData will actively promote legal and transparent cross-border distance sales by:
- listing only registered and compliant distance sellers
- encouraging companies to register for Finnish tax obligations
- improving transparency regarding tax compliance
- supporting regulatory oversight through structured market information
- helping consumers identify compliant sellers
This approach is intended to strengthen tax compliance while improving consumer transparency.
Concrete Recommendations to the Committee
The memorandum proposes five key points for consideration:
- Tax compliance assessments should be based on the future regulated market, not current grey-area operators
- Distance sales should be clearly allowed under a registration-based framework
- Registered distance sellers should have a predictable tax procedure
- Enforcement should focus on non-registered operators
- Barriers to entry for compliant sellers should not be increased
According to DrinkData, a clear and lawful framework will increase tax revenues, improve compliance, and enhance regulatory oversight.
Supporting a Transparent European Market
DrinkData aims to support a transparent and compliant European cross-border alcohol market. By providing structured information about sellers, prices, and compliance status, the platform seeks to help both regulators and consumers navigate the new environment once HE 131/2025 enters into force.
DrinkData believes that well-designed legislation combined with transparent market information will lead to:
- higher compliance rates
- improved tax collection
- increased consumer protection
- fair competition
- better regulatory oversight
The memorandum submitted today reflects these goals and supports the development of a clear, lawful framework for cross-border alcohol distance sales in Finland.
DrinkData / BlueBell Markets Ab Ltd
Piitie 1
01510 Vantaa
Finland
www.drinkdata.eu
