Tax plans in check

Who the parties want to give or take from

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/picturedesk.com, Markus Tschepp, Reinhard Holl, SEPA.Media, Dietmar Stiplovsek)

Who Austrians vote for in the election will depend to a large extent on what the parties have planned for their wallets. Who should be given something, who might have to pay more taxes in future? The "Krone" presents the main plans of the leading candidates in a check.

When it comes to taxes, the positions differ clearly. SPÖ leader Babler has particularly focused on "the rich", who he believes should contribute much more to the welfare state. On the other side is a quasi-coalition of those who believe that the tax burden has reached its ceiling and in some cases even want a reduction in taxes. The ÖVP, NEOS and FPÖ are leaning in this direction, while the Greens are more ambivalent.

Here are the key points of the respective party programs:

SPÖ in favor of "wealth taxes" on assets and inheritances
Party leader Andreas Babler has gone out on a limb. In total, the wealthy should pay five to six billion euros more per year than they do now. To achieve this, inheritance tax is to be reintroduced. It is to be levied on real estate, for example, with an exemption limit of up to 1.5 million euros only for inherited homes. Of course, the tax would only be payable after death. The second cornerstone is a new wealth tax that would apply to all assets worth 1 million euros or more. It would therefore be due every year. Assets would therefore also have to be reassessed and revalued annually. The prerequisite is therefore a kind of property register in which everything from company shares and real estate to jewelry and cars would have to be listed.

For real estate, the benchmark would be the market value. Company ownership is more complicated. How "rich" you are would have to be estimated. Between 1 and 10 million euros in assets would be subject to 0.5 percent per year, above that one percent, and from 50 million euros Babler's plan envisages an annual wealth tax of two percent. No inheritance or wealth tax is payable for farms up to 150 hectares.

(Bild: ©velishchuk - stock.adobe.com)

However, the SPÖ also has its sights set on those who do not receive money all at once, but through several inheritances or gifts: it demands a personal lifetime allowance of one million euros. If the income exceeds this limit within 30 years, a "millionaire's tax" will also apply.

For companies, the SPÖ is proposing that corporation tax on profits, which was recently reduced slightly to 23%, be increased again.

"Krone" initiative: We are "the voice of Austria"

A lot is at stake for the whole of Austria in the National Council elections on September 29. That is why the "Krone" has decided to focus on more than just traditional election campaign reporting in the super election year 2024. The aim is to give Austrians a powerful voice that will serve as a wake-up call for politicians. This is why the "Krone" launched the initiative "The Voice of Austria". It is about the voices of the readers. It's about their opinions and their demands on politicians. It is about issues that affect the whole country. The first focal points such as migration, the environment, health and the gender craze have already been presented. Countless letters to the editor have already been received, but our many users are also eager to use this opportunity via the Internet at krone.at. Please write to us with your concerns at

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ÖVP wants to reduce wage and income tax
Chancellor Karl Nehammer has set his sights on reducing the burden on earned income in particular. Specifically, the initial tax rate for wages and income is to be further reduced from the current 20 percent to 15 percent. Furthermore, the fourth tax bracket of 48 percent would be abolished, with only 40 percent being charged for this income bracket. As an incentive for older people to continue working after retirement, they should only continue to pay accident insurance, but no longer pay taxes and contributions.

Active employees would benefit in two ways: Firstly, the ÖVP is arguing for all overtime to be tax-free. Secondly, there should be a bonus in the form of a tax credit of 1000 euros per year as an incentive for all full-time employees. This is intended to motivate more part-time employees to increase their hours. 

Greens in favor of financial tax against speculation
The "eco-social tax reform" already initiated with coalition partner ÖVP must basically be continued, is the core of the Greens' ideas. They say that it will provide households with 6.3 billion euros in relief next year. The Greens are then generally committed to "fair financing" of public tasks. What is meant by this remains somewhat vague. Specifically, party leader Werner Kogler speaks of a financial transaction tax to make speculative financial transactions more expensive.

He also wants to abolish tax breaks for high incomes from capital ownership. International tax havens should be drained and companies that engage in "aggressive tax avoidance" should be excluded from state aid. In general, the true costs and greening of the economy must be improved, for example through the continuation of CO2 prices and tariffs on climate-relevant imports. The Greens envisage a general reduction in taxes for employees with small and medium-sized incomes

FPÖ: Relief for companies should benefit everyone
In their economic program, the Freedom Party explicitly rejects the separation of policies for employees and employers. This is outdated. In reality, they see this as an inseparable overall system in which both sides must be well off. This is expressed by FPÖ Chairman Herbert Kickl promising companies a reduction in non-wage labor costs. This relief would allow them to pay their employees higher wages.

The second concrete approach is a reduction in corporation tax on company profits from 23 percent to 20 percent, and even to 10 percent for small businesses. The Blue Party completely rejects inheritance or wealth taxes. There is little concrete to be found in the program for employees. Only career starters up to the age of 25 should be "massively relieved of taxes", for example for overtime, it says. A final apprenticeship examination could also mean a 5000 euro bonus. And senior citizens over 60 should remain in employment for longer, for which rewards are needed. 

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Lower taxes and a simple payslip for the NEOS
NEOS leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger has also been pushing for a reduction in non-wage labor costs for companies for some time. At least 5 percent less is needed to make the business location more attractive again and thus create more jobs. In general, the tax burden must be reduced significantly. Within five years, the tax rate on labor should be reduced from the current 44% to 39%. And so that employees can see for themselves how high ancillary wage costs, social security contributions, chamber fees etc. are on their salary, these should be clearly and comprehensibly listed on the payslips.

The NEOS also want to implement a conversion of both state tax revenues. The federal states and municipalities should be able to set their own surcharges on income tax with which they want to fulfill their tasks. This would increase responsibility for their income and expenditure and lead to greater thriftiness. For poorer households, support would also move away from expensive one-off payments with a watering can towards targeted assistance.