Temporarily reduction of the value added tax-rate

In the "fight" against the COVID-19-crisis, the Austrian government has announced further support measures for particularly affected industries. One of the measures includes a temporary reduction of VAT to 5% in the gastranomy, cultural and in the publishing sector. 

Already implemented is the temporarily reduction of the value added tax-rate (VAT-rate) to 0% for deliveries and intra-community acquisitions of protective masks made after the 13th of April 2020 until the 1st of August 2020.

According to a current draft law, a reduction of the VAT-rate to 5% is to be expected for certain supplies and services for the period from 1st of July 2020 to 31st of December 2020.

The affected industrial sectors by this draft law are the gastronomy, the cultural and the publishing sector.

The reduction of the VAT-rate to 5% is for every kind of food and beverage in restaurants; it applies for books, brochures, magazines, newspapers and other periodicals, but not for electronic publications such as ebooks etc. Examples for the reduced VAT-rate in the cultural industry are tickets for theatre, music and singing performances, museums, botanical and zoological gardens, nature parks and cinemas. This reduction shall also apply to transactions relating to the activities of artists and the supply of art objects (if the copyright owner or his successor in title supplies) and it is also going to be valid for the import and intra-community acquisition in these industries.

On the 30th of June 2020, this draft law will be voted on in a special session of the national council.