Austria

Corporate - Corporate residence

Last reviewed - 04 July 2024

A corporation is resident in Austria for tax purposes if either it is registered in Austria (legal seat) or its place of effective management is located in Austria. The ‘place of effective management’ is located where the day-to-day management of the company is actually carried out and not where singular board decisions are formally made. However, the definition of place of effective management under Austrian tax law does not significantly deviate from its definition under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines.

Permanent establishment (PE)

An Austrian PE is defined under Austrian tax law as a fixed establishment where a business is carried out, in particular:

  • the place where the management is carried out
  • plants, warehouses, purchase and sales establishments, and other establishments where an entrepreneur or one's permanent representative carries out one's business, or
  • construction sites, which last for more than six months.

However, the definition of PE is different in some tax treaties. The Austrian tax authorities generally follow the commentary to the OECD model convention regarding the PE concept.