With an equity savings account, you can trade in the shares of both domestic and foreign listed companies without having to pay taxes immediately. If you want to diversify your portfolio by investing in foreign dividend stocks in particular, a book-entry account could be a better choice for these holdings.  Otherwise you may risk double taxation, as you will not get a refund on any withholding tax levied on the investments in your equity savings account. This means that the dividends you receive from your foreign shareholdings could be taxed both in Finland and overseas.