Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) confirms: receivables bearing no interest qualify as capital assets within the meaning of section 27 Austrian Income Tax Act (EStG)

Recently, the VwGH (4/9/2025, Ro 2023/13/0010) confirmed that the capital appreciation tax introduced with the Austrian Budget Accompanying Act 2011 (BBG 2011) “product-neutrally” includes all assets generating income in principle subject to section 27 para. 2 EStG in non-business contexts. Whether the respective asset actually generates income from the provision of capital assets or qualifies […]

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ECJ on VAT treatment of transfer pricing adjustments

With its decision in the case SC Arcomet Towercranes(C-726/23) published on 4 September 2025, the ECJ takes a stance on VAT effects of transfer pricing adjustments (“TP adjustments”) for the first time. Description The SC Arcomet Towercranes SRL (subsidiary) is part of the Arcomet group. The Romanian subsidiary buys or rents cranes for selling or […]

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Austrian Federal Tax Court (BFG) decision: tax treatment of foreign exchange results relating to profit distributions

A few months ago, the BFG addressed in a decision (BFG 13/12/2024, RV/7100927/2020) the question of whether foreign exchange losses relating to dividend distributions from a shareholding, which is subject to the international participation exemption, are tax-deductible. Underlying case The decision was based on a case where an Austrian company held 90% of the shares […]

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Austrian Federal Tax Court (BFG): prohibition on deduction of low-taxed intra-group interest and royalty payments contrary to EU law

On 7 March 2025 the BFG Vienna has ruled in two appeals (RV/7103283/2023 and RV/7102685/2022) that the prohibition on deduction of low-taxed intra-group interest and royalty payments (section 12 para. 1 subsec. 10 Austrian Corporate Income Tax Act (KStG)) is a violation of the EU’s freedom of establishment. An ordinary review of the ruling to […]

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Austrian Administrative Supreme Court (VwGH) about the certificate of residence for capital gains tax relief

Following up on recent case law from the tax court (BFG), in a different legal matter, the Austrian Administrative Supreme Court (VwGH) now also addressed the requirement to provide a certificate of residence on specific Austrian forms (ZS-QU1 or ZS-QU2) to benefit from a withholding tax relief at source in its decision dated 9 October […]

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Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH): calculation of real estate transfer tax

In its ruling of 24 October 2024 (Ro 2022/16/0023-4), the VwGH clarified issues regarding the calculation of real estate transfer tax for industrial buildings using the lump sum approach (“Pauschalwertmodell”) as well as issues in connection with construction rights (“Baurecht”), i.e. the right to build and own a building/construction on a land whereby the latter is […]

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Recent developments in the interpretation of the “power of disposal” as PE threshold

Recently, the Austrian Federal Tax Court (BFG) dealt in its decision (BFG 8/2/2024, RV/6100451/2018) with the requirements for the power of disposal triggering a permanent establishment. Fact pattern A German dentist treated inmates of Austrian prisons. The tax authority generally has a rather broad understanding of the power of disposal over a fixed place of […]

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Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) confirms: setting up a company group with an EU/EEA group parent (without an Austrian branch) is possible

The VwGH (27/03/2024, Ro 2023/13/0018) has largely confirmed ruling of the tax court at first instance and confirmed that the current law conflicts with CJEU case law and EU primary law (see our newsletter), but has solved the technical aspects of the income attribution in such a “sister” tax group differently. Facts and circumstances A […]

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High court desicion: No final loss utilization for shares in case of a liquidation of non-EU/EEA tax group member

According to the Austrian Administrative Supreme Cout (“VwGH”) the Austrian tax group regime is full set of rules, which prevails as lex specialis over the general rule for the loss utilization. Therefore the concurrent application of the general final loss utilization rules for shares were rejected by the recent case law in case of non-EU/EEA […]

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BFG confirms: Relief from KESt at source only with timely certificates of residence on the ZS-QU2 form

In its decision dated 24 January 2024 (RV/1100179/2019), the Austrian Federal Financial Court (BFG) confirms the strict view of the Austrian tax authorities that, in order to be granted relief from capital gains tax (KESt) at source based on the applicable double taxation agreement, it is compulsory for the certificate of residence to be submitted […]

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