päätoimiala

Päätoimiala is a Finnish term denoting the primary field of activity of a business entity. It describes the company’s main line of business and serves as the principal descriptor of its operations in official records and public profiles.

In Finland, päätoimiala is used in corporate registration and in public business information systems such as the Finnish Patent and Registration Office and YTJ. It is typically expressed as a combination of a descriptive label and an industry code, reflecting the core activity that generates most revenue or employment.

Classification and codes: The main activity is aligned with standardized industry classifications, often based on the EU’s NACE codes or the Finnish TOL classification. The code can be updated when the company’s operations shift to a different core activity.

Examples: A software development company may have a päätoimiala in information technology and software services; a construction firm may indicate construction or civil engineering; a manufacturing company might designate manufacturing of machinery. Multi-service firms may have a broader main activity with sub-areas marked as secondary activities, but the päätoimiala remains the primary one.

Notes: The concept is primarily administrative and statistical, serving to classify firms for industry statistics, market analysis, and regulatory reporting. It is distinct from other activities the company may undertake but is expected to reflect its primary source of turnover and employment.