How high is property transfer tax in Austria?
Property transfer tax is generally 3.5 per cent of the purchase price, plus 1.1 per cent for entry in the land register.
How high property transfer tax is
In Austria, property transfer tax is generally 3.5 per cent of the purchase price or of the property value. It applies to every purchase of a property for consideration and is one of the largest single additional costs when buying.
What comes on top
In addition to the tax itself comes the entry of ownership in the land register at 1.1 per cent. Together that makes around 4.6 per cent, which arises regardless of how well you negotiate. An overview of all additional costs is in the article on purchase costs.
Special rules for family and gifts
For transfers without consideration within the family, such as a gift or inheritance, different rules and a graduated rate based on the property value apply. Here the tax can be considerably lower. Which variant applies in your case should be checked professionally.
Who pays the tax over
In practice, property transfer tax is calculated by the person drawing up the contract – a notary or solicitor – during the transaction and paid over to the tax office. As buyer you do not have to deal with it yourself, but you should have the amount available from your own funds.
Check the current legal position
The rates given reflect the current legal position. Tax rules can change, and there are exceptions in detail. For your particular case we establish the exact amount together with the person drawing up the contract before you sign.
What the tax is calculated on
The basis is generally the purchase price, but at least the so-called property value. Where a purchase is made at a strikingly low price, the tax office checks whether the actual value is higher. For you as buyer that means a realistic, traceable price also protects against tax queries. Together with the person drawing up the contract we make sure the basis is set correctly and that no additional demands follow.
We keep track
We accompany you through the whole transaction and make sure all taxes and fees are correctly accounted for. How a purchase works overall is set out in the article on that subject. Talk to us and we will answer your questions about buying.
If in doubt we always establish the exact amount in advance with the person drawing up the contract, so that you can budget with certainty.