Austria

Depreciation and amortisation

Generally, only the straight-line method is accepted for tax purposes, whereby the cost is evenly spread over the useful life of an asset. For certain assets, depreciation rates relevant for tax purposes are prescribed by tax law and shown in the following chart:

Buildings used as business assets are depreciated at a rate of 2.5%, irrespective of their use. An exception applies for buildings for residential use, which are depreciated at a rate of 1.5%.

Tax depreciation is not required to conform to financial depreciation under Austrian GAAP. If depreciated property is sold, the difference between tax value and sale proceeds is considered as a profit or loss for tax purposes in the year of sale.

Trademarks are usually amortised over 15 years. Other intangibles have to be amortised over their useful lives.

With the Economic Strengthening Act 2020 (‘Konjunkturstärkungsgesetz‘), the declining-balance method was introduced for fixed assets acquired or created after 30 June 2020 in the maximum amount of 30% per annum, based on the residual book value. The declining-balance method does not apply to intangible and used assets, buildings, goodwill, certain kinds of passenger vehicles, and estate cars/station wagons, as well as fixed assets used for promotion, transport, or storage of non-renewable energy sources and fixed assets that make direct use of non-renewable energy sources (e.g. planes). A change from the declining-balance method to the straight-line method in the course of an asset's useful life is permissible, but not vice-versa.

Goodwill

Goodwill arising in the course of an asset deal for tax purposes must be amortised over 15 years. Goodwill that arose in the course of a share deal can be amortised only if the acquired company is included in a tax group and if the share deal was effected until 28 February 2014 (see the Group taxation section. Goodwill arising as a result of a corporate merger cannot be amortised.

Organisational and start-up expenses

Generally, organisational and start-up expenses are tax deductible.

Interest expenses

Interest payments (also inter-company) are generally tax deductible if they meet the general arm's-length requirements. See Thin capitalisation in the Group taxation section and Payments to foreign affiliates below for more information.

Financing costs

According to current tax law, interest expenses resulting from the debt-financed acquisition of shares are usually tax deductible. This is also true if the Austrian participation exemption regime applies (see the Income determination section).

However, interest expenses relating to the debt-financed acquisition of shares from related parties or (directly or indirectly) controlling shareholders are generally non-deductible. This disallowance of interest also applies in circumstances where the shareholder acquiring the shares has been funded by a debt-financed equity contribution (insofar as the equity contribution was made in direct connection with the share acquisition). The deductibility of interest expenses incurred in connection with the debt-financed acquisition of shares from a third party is not covered by this rule.

All financing costs (e.g. fees, foreign exchange expenses, legal advice) that relate to tax-exempted international participations are non-deductible.

Interest expenses to foreign affiliates that are effectively taxed below 10% are not deductible (see Payments to foreign affiliates below).

Earnings-based interest limitation

With the COVID-19 Tax Measures Act (‘COVID-19-Steuermaßnahmengesetz’), which was published in the Austrian Federal Law Gazette on 7 January 2021, an interest limitation rule was implemented in the Austrian Corporate Income Tax Act in order to transpose the respective provision of the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD). Accordingly, a company’s financing expenses are deductible only up to a maximum extent of 30% of the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA). Net interest expenses in the amount of EUR 3 million are deductible in any case, additionally further exceptions can apply (equity escape clause, tax group clause, etc). 

Accrued expenses

Certain accruals (such as provisions for liabilities and impending losses) running for more than 12 months as of the closing date of the accounts have to be discounted, depending on their actual duration. The discount rate to be used is 3.5%. Provisions for personnel benefits (severance payments, pensions, vacations, and anniversary awards) for which specific reduction and computation methods have been provided and provisions that were already calculated by discounting a future obligation are exempt.

In general, lump-sum accruals and accruals for deferred repairs and maintenance are not allowed for tax purposes.

However, pursuant to the COVID-19 Tax Measures Act (‘COVID-19-Steuermaßnahmengesetz’), which was published in the Austrian Federal Gazette on 7 January 2021, lump-sum provisions are accepted for tax purposes for financial years ending after 31 December 2020.

Bad debt

Valuation allowances for bad debts are, in principle, deductible for tax purposes, unless they are calculated on a lump-sum basis. In case of inter-company receivables, appropriate documentation regarding the compliance with the arm's-length principle is required.

Due to the COVID-19 Tax Measures Act (‘COVID-19-Steuermaßnahmengesetz’), which was published in the Austrian Federal Gazette on 7 January 2021, general bad debt provisions are accepted for tax purposes for financial years ending after 31 December 2020.

Charitable contributions

Donations to certain charitable institutions are generally tax deductible, up to a limit of 10% of the current year’s profit.

Furthermore, donations to certain public Austrian institutions, such as universities, art colleges, or the academy of science, and to non-profit organisations performing research and educational activities mainly for the benefit of the Austrian science or economy may also be deducted as operating expenses, up to the limit of 10% of the current year’s profit. The same is valid for donations granted to foreign institutions with residence in the EU/EEA or in third countries that have concluded an agreement on mutual assistance regarding the exchange of information with Austria. The requirement for deductibility is that the activities of the organisation are carried out mainly for the benefit of Austrian science or the Austrian economy.

Meals and entertainment

The deductibility of costs for business lunches generally is limited to 50% of actual expenses incurred (provided that it aims at acquiring new business). 

The deductibility of entertainment expenses is restricted to advertising expenses.

Salary payments

Payments to a member of the supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat) are tax deductible up to a limit of 50%.

Salaries (including all payments in cash and in kind, excluding privileged severance payments) exceeding EUR 500,000 per person and per year are not tax deductible. This rule also covers bonus payments and pension schemes. However, for pension schemes there is a EUR 500,000 per annum threshold to be considered separately from the other salary payments.

This rule also covers costs on-charged in relation with employees for foreign (group) companies that are an active part of the organisation of the Austrian company (e.g. foreign group staff acting as managing director of an Austrian group company).

Severance payments granted by companies to employees exceeding statutory obligations (voluntary severance payments) at the level of the employer generally represent non-deductible expenses. Only voluntary severance payments in the’old severance pay scheme‘ (called ’Abfertigung alt‘) are deductible for CIT purposes if these are taxed with the favourable tax rate of 6% at the level of the employee. According to a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH Ro 2020/13/0013-4), voluntary severance payments in the ’new severance pay scheme‘ (called ‘Abfertigung neu‘) also may partly be deducted for CIT purposes, as it would be inappropriate to completely exclude voluntary severance payments for employees in the new severance pay scheme from the deduction as business expenses. Deductible is an amount calculated in line with the rules applicable for the taxation of payments with the favourable tax rate of 6% in the old severance pay scheme.

Additionally, in line with a decision from the Supreme Administrative Court (VfGH G 228/2021-8), an exception was introduced to the ban on voluntary severance payments for payments made in the context of social plans concluded as a result of a change in business operations within the meaning of the Austrian Labour Constitution Act after 1 January 2023. 

Fines and penalties

Fines and penalties are generally not tax deductible.

Taxes

Austrian and foreign taxes on income and other personal taxes, as well as VAT insofar as it relates to non-deductible expenditures, are non-deductible. Other taxes, such as payroll taxes, are deductible.

Net operating losses

Tax losses can be carried forward without any time limit. However, tax loss carryforwards can generally be offset against taxable income only up to a maximum of 75% of the taxable income for any given year. Some exceptions apply (i.e. in connection with tax groups, in case of liquidations or the recapture taxation of foreign losses), allowing a company to charge tax loss carryforwards available against 100% of annual taxable income.

Austrian tax law does not generally provide for a carryback of tax losses. However, due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the government has implemented a new loss carryback (i.e. offsetting operating losses incurred in 2020 against profits from 2018 and 2019). See Incentives related to COVID-19 in the Tax credits and incentives section for more information.

Loss-trafficking (Mantelkauf)

Tax loss carryforwards may be lost in case of a share deal being classified as loss-trafficking (so-called 'Mantelkauf') or in the course of a legal restructuring leading to similar results.

Under Austrian tax law, a share deal against compensation is classified as a Mantelkauf if, from a substance-over-form perspective, the 'economic identity' of a company is changed due to the transaction. The change of economic identity of a company is realised if all of the following structural changes are made to the acquired Austrian company having the tax loss carryforwards available:

• Change of shareholder structure.
• Change of the organisational structure.
• Change of the business structure.

All three conditions cumulatively have to be met. There is no exact time period defined within which they have to be met; however, meeting them within one year before/after the share transfer usually is regarded as a strong indication for a Mantelkauf.

Payments to foreign affiliates

Generally, there are no restrictions on the deductibility of royalties, interest, and service fees paid to foreign affiliates, provided they are at arm's length (which should be appropriately documented by agreements, contracts, calculation sheets, etc.). Payments to affiliated companies exceeding the arm's-length threshold are treated as a hidden distribution of earnings (i.e. they are not tax deductible, and WHT is usually triggered at source). See Transfer pricing in the Group taxation section for more information.

In addition, interest and royalty payments made by an Austrian company to affiliated companies (beneficial owner) located in low-tax jurisdictions (effectively taxed below 10%) are non-deductible as well. In this context, special attention has to be paid to the fact that the low-taxation test has to be passed at the level of the beneficial owner of the income (interest income, royalties). According to the Tax Reform Act 2020, CFC rules (see Controlled foreign companies (CFCs) in the Group taxation section for more information) prevail over the non-deductibility in order to avoid double taxation.

Note that the domestic implementation of the EU Interest Royalty Directive, which abolishes WHT on cross-border payments of interest and licence fees (regardless of whether taken out by deduction or by assessment) between affiliated companies in the member states, should be considered.