Church contribution: Up to 600 euros tax-deductible

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In view of inflation, the proportion of the church contribution that can be deducted from tax has increased by 200 euros.

Several dioceses in Austria have announced an inflation adjustment to the church contribution for 2024. However, the calculation of the church contribution has remained unchanged at 1.1 percent of taxable income. However, as personal income has risen in many sectors, the actual contribution to be paid is higher.

The respective income is used as the basis for recalculating the advance payment. The social security contributions paid and the deductible amount are deducted from the gross income. If no proof of income is available, the amount is estimated.

Up to 600 euros: tax deductibility increased

At the beginning of the year, the tax deductibility of church contributions of up to 400 euros was increased. A new feature is that contributions to churches and religious communities of up to 600 euros can be claimed as a special expense. This is automatically taken into account in the annual employee tax assessment. The increase in the deductible amount was a long time coming. The last time it was increased was over ten years ago.

More and more people are leaving the church

As statistics from the Austrian dioceses show, more and more people are leaving the church. Around 91,000 Austrians left the church in 2022. In addition, church contribution income stagnated at just under 500 million euros. In addition to the increasing distance from the church, the tense overall economic situation is also suspected to be the cause, according to the dioceses. The church statistics and financial figures for 2023 will be published in September 2024.