Run on electricians

Savings package: Are solar systems worthwhile despite the tax?

The planned end to the VAT exemption for private photovoltaics (PV) is causing uncertainty and a run on Austria's electricians. Many want to quickly secure cheaper prices before the end of the subsidy.

(Bild: APA/ROBERT JAEGER / APA / picturedesk.com)

If blue-black comes to power, things will happen quickly: Subsidies for green energy will be dropped, the CO2 taxes introduced by the ÖVP and the Greens will remain. The savings plans are causing uproar among businesses and homeowners: they castigate the "breach of trust" and many want to secure the benefits quickly before they expire. But is the run on solar technology justified - or is it worthwhile even without subsidies? We have done the math.

The outgoing black-green government had actually promised Austrians discounts on the purchase of photovoltaic systems including battery storage until the end of 2025 - in the form of a waiver of VAT, which costs the state nothing but deprives it of revenue. Revenues that are now urgently needed in view of the tight budgets left behind by the black-green coalition, according to the blue-black coalition negotiators. This means that the waiver of VAT on solar installations is to end as early as April. For those who don't have one yet, the crucial question now is: should they still go for it quickly - or trust that the cheap energy will pay off even without subsidies and grants? We have done the math for you.