What can you deduct from the tax?

That depends and is individual. There are tax allowances and tax deductions in tax law. But even without such, there can be rich tax credits in many cases and very easily.

Here are the top 5 reasons for refunds*

1. Your net income is around € 1.065,00 after taxes (without additional vacay and Christmas pay stubs) or because you work part time

2. You didn't work all 12 months during the year

3. You switched from full time to part time during the year. E.g. Change in Jobs, Seasonal workers, maternity or paternity leave

4. You are a Trainee

5. You are receiving work benefits (Kurzarbeit/reduced pay) due to Covid or other reasons

* without having high deductibles and you actually do your tax return

What if I've never done a tax return before?

That doesn't matter, you can do it up to 5 years after the fact. All you need is your individual tax number for tax compensation. You can ask in the APP whether you already have one. If not, just send a short letter to the tax office and you will receive a tax number. The format is XX XXX/XXXX

Tax Number Request Letter Template: Download Template

What is a tax return?

With a tax equalization (the legal term is employee assessment), employees in Austria can apply to the tax office to tell what they (still) want or can deduct from the tax.

Do I have to submit a tax return if I am employed?

In theory, no. Your employer pays the income tax for you to the tax office on a monthly basis based on the applicable tax laws. But your employer doesn't know that you can still deduct something from the tax. So, you would leave money on the table that is yours if you don't do your tax return