Umsatzsteuer#

Turnover Tax (value-added tax), duty shared between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. In Austria all deliveries of goods and the provision of services effected for money by an enterprise within the country, are subject to turnover tax (general turnover tax). The tax rate is 20% in general; milk, bread and other food, books and magazines, passenger transport, theatre and film performances, refuse disposal, etc. are subject to a reduced rate of 10%. The turnover tax is collected from the enterprises. Only ultimate consumers are taxed, the turnover tax paid for the acquisition of operationally necessary deliveries of goods and provision of services is refunded to the enterprises by the tax office ("deduction of input tax"). Deliveries of goods and provision of services intended for export are not taxed in Austria, imports are taxed when crossing the border ("import turnover tax"). No turnover tax is levied from social insurance institutions, charitable corporations, and real estate, private schools and private teachers, etc. Apart from the general turnover tax there are several special turnover taxes (land acquisition tax, insurance tax, etc.). The turnover tax is the most profitable tax in Austria (1994: 202.5 billion ATS). Tax treatment of cross-border merchandise turnovers within the European Union is subject to special regulations.

Literature#