Category: Austrian News

The new year will bring higher gas and electricity bills. The main reasons for this are higher grid costs and the fact that from January, the levies, which were reduced to a minimum during the energy crisis, will once again apply in full. The expiry of the electricity price cap on December 31, 22024, may also lead to higher costs. Household energy bills will rise by several hundred euros a year, depending on the province and energy consumption. Electricity charges for households are expected to rise by an average of…

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On Saturday, the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) once again warned about an email scam circulating: criminals are trying to obtain people’s personal data by sending messages in the ministry’s name. Specifically, potential victims are led to believe that they will receive a 500-euro refund but will have to disclose their credit card details to do so. Links then lead to fake websites in the FinanzOnline style. The ministry stated that the e-mails with the subject “The processing of your refund has begun” are fake. It also said the requests…

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Wages, salaries, and pensions will be adjusted again next year, measured as always against last year’s inflation. As a result, the increase in income in most major sectors will be around four percent.The new collective agreement for the public sector will apply for the next two years. The agreement for the coming year provides for an average increase of 3.5 percent with social grading of a minimum of 82.40 euros and a maximum of 437.80 euros. An agreement was also reached for 2026, where a further 0.3 percent will be…

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2025 will be marked by an economic downturn, crises, and global warming. But there is also plenty to celebrate, such as the anniversaries of the end of the Second World War, the State Treaty, and Austria’s accession to the EU. Citizens will face many changes, such as introducing a deposit on cans and plastic, new teleworking regulations, and standardized chargers. Many things will become more expensive, but salaries and social benefits will also increase. As always, the benchmark for wages, salaries, and pensions was last year’s inflation. In the public…

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The weather will be milder again next week. Due to a warm front that will hit Austria on Monday, the experts at Geosphere Austria are forecasting temperatures of up to ten degrees. However, the weekend will still be unsettled. High air pressure will continue to dominate the weather on Friday. Very sunny weather will prevail in the mountains, but in many basins and valleys, but also in the east and southeast, fog or high fog is to be expected. The wind will blow weakly in the Danube region and the…

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No new year is complete without new burdens for car owners. Above all, the increase in the CO₂ price will be felt by Austrians in their wallets—diesel and petrol will be more expensive again. An overview. The two major automobile clubs, ÖAMTC and ARBÖ have already gained an overview of what is in store for motorists at the turn of the year. In a nutshell: The more emissions a vehicle emits, the more expensive it will be. The debate is also focusing on the regional climate bonus, which was introduced…

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Retailers have drawn a first, satisfied balance of the Christmas business. On average, we spend 386 euros on gifts. December is the most important month of the financial year for most Austrian retailers and is considered the “5th quarter” within the industry. Christmas business determines whether the financial year ends successfully or not. In 2024, this crisis applies more than ever, even though this year’s starting position was primarily characterized by loss limitation due to the economic recession, countless bankruptcies, and below-average consumer sentiment. The good news, according to the…

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There are signs of a recovery following the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting standstill in air traffic. For the first time since 2019, Vienna International Airport announced in a press release on Tuesday that it had broken through the 30 million passenger mark again. There were 31.7 million passengers in the record year 2019—the last year before the coronavirus pandemic. However, what pleases the airport is unlikely to trigger euphoria among environmentalists, as there were also protests this year. In 2022, 23.7 million passengers had already been counted again. Last…

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Rental and cell phone contracts are affected not only by inflation here but also by social security contributions. They currently make up around 18 percent of your salary but are capped. The maximum contribution for social insurance is presently 6,060 euros per month. In the coming year, this amount will rise by 6.3 percent to EUR 6,450 due to indexation, resulting in an annualized amount of EUR 90,300 instead of EUR 84,840. This affects not only the social security contributions but also the marginal earnings and additional earnings limits. Despite…

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