Austria classifies cryptocurrencies as "income from capital assets" under its Income Tax Act, a framework that became effective on March 1, 2022. The country has a regulated approach to crypto taxation, meaning dedicated legal provisions govern how these assets are treated for tax purposes. This includes automatic tax withholding by Austrian crypto service providers since 2024, with international reporting set to begin in 2026. The Bundesministerium für Finanzen (BMF) is the primary authority responsible for crypto tax policy and guidance, operating within the established Income Tax Act. For individual investors, a flat tax rate of 27.5% applies to capital gains from cryptocurrencies acquired after February 28, 2021. This rate covers disposals to fiat currency. For "legacy assets" purchased before this date, gains are tax-free if the assets have been held for more than one year, otherwise, progressive income tax rates up to 55% may apply. There are no general exemptions or allowances for new crypto assets. The standard corporate tax rate of 23% applies to companies dealing in crypto. Value-Added Tax (VAT) is 0% on crypto exchange transactions, but services like crypto mining are subject to a 20% VAT. Specific activities like staking, mining, and DeFi yield farming are taxed at 27.5% on the value of the rewards received at the moment they are acquired. Any subsequent gains from the disposal of these acquired rewards are also subject to the 27.5% tax rate. Importantly, trading crypto for other crypto assets is generally tax-free, as it is not considered a taxable realization event. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are treated differently, they do not fall under the new crypto asset rules. Instead, they are considered speculative assets, subject to progressive income tax rates up to 55% if sold within one year. After a one-year holding period, legacy rules exempt NFT sales from tax. Looking ahead, the Crypto Reporting Act (Krypto-MPfG) is set to take effect on January 1, 2026. This legislation will require crypto asset service providers, both domestic and international, to report customer data, including transaction volumes and wallet information, to tax authorities for automatic international exchange.
Tax Rates
| Effective individual rate | 27.5 |
| Capital gains tax | 27.5% flat on disposals to fiat for assets acquired after Feb 28, 2021, tax-free after 1-year hold for pre-2021 assets |
| Income tax on crypto | 27.5% on staking/mining/DeFi rewards at receipt, progressive up to 55% for professional crypto income |
| Corporate tax | 23% standard rate, no specific crypto exemptions or rates |
| VAT | 0% on crypto exchange transactions, 20% VAT applies to mining services and other value-added services |
Activity Taxes
| Staking | 27.5% tax on reward value at receipt, subsequent gains on disposal taxed at 27.5% |
| Mining | 27.5% tax on mined coin value at receipt, subsequent gains on disposal taxed at 27.5% |
| DeFi | 27.5% tax on yield/rewards at each receipt event, 27.5% on subsequent disposal gains |
| NFTs | Progressive income tax up to 55% if sold within 1 year, tax-free after 1-year hold under legacy rules |
Taxable Events
| Crypto → Fiat | Taxable, 27.5% on net gain (disposal value minus acquisition cost) for new assets |
| Crypto → Crypto | Tax-free, no taxable realization event for like-kind crypto-to-crypto trades |
Holding Period
| Holding period benefit | 1-year exemption applies only to assets acquired before Feb 28, 2021, new assets have no holding period benefit |
Sources