Austrian Tax Court (BFG) on liquidation of a foreign member of a tax group – Use of final losses restricted

For the first time, in its decision of 7 October 2022, RV/7101680/2022, an Austrian Tax Court had the opportunity to look into the relation between section 9 para. 6 subsec. 7 Austrian Corporate Income Tax Act (KStG) (reduction of subsequent taxation in the event of liquidation) and section 10 para. 3 KStG (assertion of partial […]

read more

New VwGH case law on the PE definition in tax treaty law

A new decision of the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) (22.6.2022, Ro 2020/13/0004) was recently published regarding the definition of a “fixed place” under tax treaty law. For a fixed place to exist, a taxable person must have power of disposal over it. For Austrian tax purposes, a decisive hallmark of the existence of a […]

read more

No input VAT deduction on services supplied as shareholder contributions to subsidiaries

In a decision of 8 September 2022 in the case C-98/21, W GmbH, the CJEU addressed the question as to whether supplies obtained by a parent company in order to forward them to a subsidiary free-of-charge in the form of a shareholder contribution were eligible for input VAT deduction. Facts The objects of business of W […]

read more

VwGH – No provisions for impending losses due to lease expenses of loss-making stores

In a decision of 7 April 2022, Ro 2021/13/0009, the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) endorsed the case law of the German Federal Fiscal Court (BFH). According to this decision, provisions for impending losses arising from disadvantageous lease agreements can only be created if the leased property can no longer be used by the business. Circumstances […]

read more

Update: ‘Failed’ triangular transactions – Opinion of Advocate General Kokott on the preliminary ruling request by the VwGH regarding invoice details and invoice correction in a triangular transaction

As mentioned in our (German) newsletter of 21 May 2021, the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) submitted the following questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding invoicing by the acquirer to the recipient in a triangular transaction: Is tax liability transferred to the recipient even if no reference is made in […]

read more

CJEU on cumulative intra-Community acquisitions

The CJEU has ruled (7.7.2022, C-696/20, Dyrektor Izby Skarbowej w W) that, in general, a cumulative intra-Community acquisition of goods can also occur in the Member State in which the transport began if the acquirer uses a VAT ID number of that Member State. However, there is no cumulative intra-Community acquisition of goods if the […]

read more

Austrian Tax Court declares horizontal group to be permissible

In a decision of 31 March 2022 (RV/7104573/2020), the Austrian Federal Tax Court (BFG) has stated – contrary to the wording of Sec 9 Austrian Corporate Income Tax Act (KStG) – that a company group between Austrian affiliates is permissible even if the joint parent company is resident abroad and does not have a branch in Austria. […]

read more

Non-deductibility of severance payments from social plans is unconstitutional

In its decision of 16 March 2022, the Austrian Constitutional Court (VfGH) overturned the prohibition of deductions under Sec 20 para 1 subpara 8 Austrian Income Tax Act (EStG) as unconstitutional. This provision prevents the deduction of voluntary severance payments made by the employer to the extent that these exceed the amounts eligible for preferential tax treatment on the […]

read more

Austrian Supreme Administrative Court on VAT groups

In a court decision of 16 November 2021 (Ra 2020/15/0101), the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) confirmed that organisational integration exists if executive management is carried out by non-executive employees of a VAT group. Economic integration is also present in the specific case based on the lease of an administrative building to a bank. The overall […]

read more

VAT: Triangular transaction despite registration of intermediary in Member State of destination

The Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) has decided that the triangular transaction rule also applies in the event that the intermediary is identified in the Member State of destination, but does not have a fixed establishment in that Member State. The decisive factor for the applicability of the triangular transaction rule is the VAT ID […]

read more