Perintä

Perintö is a Finnish term that primarily refers to the assets and obligations that are transferred to heirs after a person’s death. It covers both movable and immovable property as well as debts and other liabilities that the deceased owed. In everyday language, perintö also encompasses things inherited as part of a family’s cultural or historical heritage, such as traditions or artifacts.

In Finnish law, the distribution of perintö can follow a will (testamentti) or, if no valid will exists, the statutory order of heirs. A testament allows the deceased to designate who will receive specific assets, within the limits set by law. In the absence of a will, the inheritance is divided according to statutory rules, typically prioritizing spouses and children, followed by other relatives. If there are no eligible heirs, the estate may pass to the state.

The settlement of an estate typically involves opening the estate, compiling an inventory, and paying debts and taxes before distributing remaining assets. Inheritance may be subject to inheritance tax depending on the relationship between the deceased and the heirs and the value of the estate.

The concept of perintö thus intersects with law, taxation, and family history. While its primary use concerns the transfer of property after death, the term can also be employed more broadly to describe inherited cultural legacies and, in everyday speech, things handed down from one generation to the next.