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Property inventory and final statement can now be prepared electronically in the Guardianship e-service

Publication date 2.10.2024 10.16
Press release

Private guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney can now perform their tasks more smoothly as the property inventory and final statement can be prepared online. Previously, you have been able to use the Guardianship e-service to submit permit applications in matters related to property. New features that streamline the work of guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney will be published in the service during this and next year. The service can be used in Finnish and Swedish language.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency supervises that matters related to the property of a person under guardianship or a granter of a power of attorney are handled appropriately. The new service makes it easier for private guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney to report on the management of their client's property.

The Guardianship e-service instructs the guardian to draw up a property inventory and final statement one step at a time. The step-by-step instructions are particularly helpful for attorneys with a continuing power of attorney and for private guardians who manage the affairs of a loved one and are unfamiliar with accounting.

Using strong identification, the parties' contact details and accountability dates are retrieved from different systems. The service provides guidance on what information and appendices are required for the property inventory and final statement. When all necessary information and documents are submitted to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency at once, the matter is processed and resolved more smoothly.

"When we receive accounting data in electronic format, it's easier to check compared to a manual paper form. We can now also check data regardless of the location. The smoother workflow helps us, for example, identify abuse earlier," says Chief Specialist Jukka-Tapio Yli-Kauppila from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
 

Guardians and attorneys manage the assets and liabilities of their client

Guardian and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney have several obligations related to property. Their first task is to draw up a property inventory of the assets and liabilities of the person they represent.

After this, the guardian and possibly the accountable attorney must prepare annual statements on how the client's property has been managed for the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

At the end of the guardianship, the guardian prepares and submits to the Agency a final statement, which is a report on the client's current property, similar to an annual statement. When the continuing power of attorney ends, the attorney must also usually issue a final statement to the appropriate recipient, such as the granter's estate. However, the attorney does not submit the final statement to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency under any circumstances.

 

Guardianship e-service aims for electronic statement process and accounting

In the future, private guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney may fulfil all their accounting obligations related to their client in the Guardianship e-service.

The service gives you a better understanding of the tasks involved and helps you identify the relevant deadlines. Preparing a statement will also be easier when the previously entered data is used as the basis for future statements. 

In early 2024, permit applications were introduced in the service. Private guardians or attorneys with a continuing power of attorney can use to service to submit a permit application for the sale of the client's or granter's property, for example, if they have been authorised to manage property-related matters.

In the future, annual statements can also be prepared in the Guardianship e-service. The service will be rolled out extensively on 1 January 2025.
 

Check out the service: Guardianship e-service

Further information: Jukka-Tapio Yli-Kauppila, Chief Specialist, Digital and Population Data Services Agency, tel. +358 295 537 109, [email protected].

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What is a guardian?

A private guardian is a private person who usually manages the affairs of an adult family member or a loved one. 

The guardianship of a minor's property comes into play when the child's property exceeds EUR 20,000 in value. In such case, the guardian of the minor is usually their parent who is responsible for the use of the property to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

A public guardian, on the other hand, carries out their duties on an official basis. Public guardians have already access to a system through which they can report information to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 

An attorney with a continuing power of attorney is not the same as a guardian. An attorney is chosen by the granter, whereas an adult's guardian is appointed to the task. 
 

What is the Guardianship e-service?

The Guardianship e-service is the Digital and Population Data Services Agency's digital service for guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney. Currently, you can use the service to apply for permits for legal actions that require them, draw up a property inventory and keep accounts for the final statement. In the future, many other guardianship matters can be managed in the service.

The Guardianship e-service facilitates the everyday life of many Finns who manage the affairs of a loved one. Smoother use of services also responds to the growing need for guardianship as the Finnish population ages.