HELSINKI: Finland’s ‘national envy day’, when tax details of the country’s top earners are made public, was mired in controversy on Monday as a new law allowed some individuals to hide their earnings from the media.

The Nordic country has a tradition of earnings transparency, with citizens’ income for the previous year — and crucially, how much tax they paid — published in the media at the start of November.

Public tax data is seen by many Finns as an important marker of the country’s commitment to equality and welfare. The tax administration claims that 95% of residents are happy to pay tax in return for high standards of public services, education and healthcare. However, this year, Finland’s Chancellor of Justice announced it would investigate complaints into a decision by Finland’s tax office to allow 200 individuals earning more than 100,000 euros ($111,000) to keep their names off the media’s rich list.—AFP