Company Formation in Austria

How long does it take to register a company in Austria?

20-30 working days are typically required to form an Austrian AG.

Remote incorporation of a company in Austria

The whole incorporation process can be conducted remotely. No travel is necessary but notarization of documents is necessary.

• A Power of Attorney (POA) from (all) partners/shareholders is needed;
• The POA is sent to you by us based on the services you want;
• You have to certify the POA by a notary and in some cases legalize it by apostille (some countries need full legalization);
• Once you have the POA on your hands, we double-check, and you send us the original form (physical document!) via courier to our address;
• Austria is part of the Hague Convention of the Apostille.

What LegalBison needs to start your company in Austria

• 3 options of your desired name for the company and a company contact email address;
• Names, addresses, and emails of all shareholders and board members;
• Short description of your company’s activity.

Without VAT number in Austria

• Your company will not be eligible to receive VAT refunds, which means everything bought is 20% more expensive (important: B2B payments between two VAT-exempt companies are not more expensive);
• Your company will not have to file monthly tax returns (prerequisite: no one receives a salary), which means low costs.

With VAT number in Austria

• A VAT identification number can be requested and assigned upon completion of 3 forms;
• The company will be eligible to receive VAT refunds, which means you can make use of the reverse-charge mechanism;
• Monthly tax returns have to be filed, even if no transactions occur;
• VAT must be declared and paid the latest on the 15th day of the following month it was applicable to;
• VAT relief is also possible.

Before we help you to apply for a VAT number (in Austria 20%) you should carefully think about the advantages and obligations that go along with it. Registering as a VAT payer might be either voluntary or obligatory, depending on the turnover.

Documents to provide in order to start your company in Austria

• Passport copies (scans) of shareholder/s and director/s, also beneficiary owner if applicable;
• A Power of Attorney (in case of a remote company registration);
• Certified company documents (in case at least one of the shareholders is going to be a foreign company).

Double tax treaties signed by Austria

Many countries have bilateral conventions to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion.

Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (South), Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

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Accounting and auditing requirements for companies in Austria

A Corporation Tax Declaration has to be filed after the end of every calendar year.

The declaration must include financial statements and existing reports (business reports, audits).

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What are the residential requirements in Austria?

• Companies in Austria are liable to have a registered office in Austria;
• A managing director has to be appointed, that is either an Austrian citizen or the holder of a residence permit in Austria;
• This managing director is a prerequisite for a business license (or trade license), which is required for most business activities in Austria.

LegalBison offers help with all of the above requirements. We assist and are local on the ground. Speak now for free with one of our consultants to get your business started.

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