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With July 1, there are not only Corona relaxations, but also numerous changes that will put pressure on the Austrians’ wallets in the future.
From Thursday, the mask obligation is history in many places, the Corona curfew in pubs will be lifted, the minimum distance is no longer and the square meter restrictions in retail will also be dropped. With 3-G rule can finally be celebrated and danced into the night again.
But the Corona relaxations aren’t the only thing that will be new starting July 1. With this date there are also some other partly far-reaching changes in Austria. The most important changes at a glance:
Ordered goods from non-EU countries
Until now, anyone who ordered goods from non-EU countries did not have to pay import sales tax – 20 percent on the sum of the value of the goods, postage and customs duty – up to a value of 22 euros. As of July 1, the duty-free limit will now be abolished. So anyone who orders frequently from China or the USA, for example, will have to dig deeper into their wallets from now on.
“Bargain purchases outside the EU must now be taxed from the first cent. This creates tax fairness between the market participants and promotes domestic trade,” says Rainer Trefelik, chairman of the Federal Trade Department in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), pleased about the implementation of a demand that has been made for years.
Customs duty must be paid further additionally starting from a commodity value of 150 euro. This exemption limit remains.
Increase of NOVA
There is another damper for car drivers: the standard consumption tax (NoVA), which has to be paid when buying a new car, will be raised from July 1, depending on the CO2 emissions of the car, in some cases significantly – and will be further tightened every year. Specifically, this involves a lowering of the CO2 deduction amount and malus limit, as well as an increase in the malus amount and the maximum tax rate.
“July 1 marks the beginning of what we want to achieve with the eco-social tax reform: Climate-friendly mobility becomes cheaper, climate-damaging gets a fair price. SUVs and the fattest premium stinkers among new cars will now become more expensive due to the increase of the NoVA, while it will remain low for smaller cars,” Jakob Schwarz, spokesman for budget and taxes of the Green Party explains in this regard.
While the previously mentioned changes are at the expense of citizens, this one actually brings relief to some. While so far above all the private use of official cars was attractive by favorable lump sum for employees, now also climaticcareful travel methods are to get a fiscal “Zuckerl”.
“From July 1, commuters who travel to work by public transport and bicycle will also enjoy extensive tax benefits. This pleases our climate and the purse,” Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) is quoted by the APA in this regard.
In concrete terms, employees will in future be able to deduct all public transport tickets – as long as they are only valid at their place of residence or work – from their income tax on their salary. Commuters can either purchase the tickets themselves or settle the costs with their employer. And: if a company bicycle is used privately, the entitlement to commuter allowance will remain in future.
5.4 billion euros in taxes were deferred as part of the Ministry of Finance’s Corona aid – this measure also expires on June 30. The taxes will therefore be due from Thursday.
Anyone who wants to pay them back in installments must sign up for this today via Finanz Online. This then gives you 36 months to deliver the taxes to the tax office.
In the summer, however, the so-called “safety car” phase is still running. In the first three months, according to department head Gernot Blümel (ÖVP), only a minimum amount can be paid “if the personal liquidity situation requires it.” Specifically, the respective installment for July, August and September can be set at 1 or at 0.5 percent of the total amount.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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