Dear clients,
In the current exceptional situation, we would like to inform you that our office located in Gluckgasse 3, 1010 Vienna will continue to operate but in a very reduced way. We have canceled all personal meetings. Nevertheless we are fully accessible by phone or mail for our clients, most of our employees work from their home offices.
Tax prepayments
Advance payments for income or corporate income tax for 2020 can be reduced or set at Euro 0 if this is economically justified by the corona situation.
Deferral, deferral interest, late payments
If a request for deferral or installment payment has been filed with the tax authority, the tax payer can suggest that no interests for the deferral will be levied. This suggestion must be made credible by the taxpayer. If this is the case the tax office must comply with the suggestion and reduce the deferral interest to an amount of up to EUR 0.
Further on it can also be requested to reduce or not to fix a penalty for late payment. Working on the taxpayer's application for a reduction or non-determination of a late payment surcharge, the tax office has to assume that there is no gross negligence on the part of the delay if the specific concern has been demonstrated sufficiently by the taxpayer.
Short-time work
Concerning short-time working there is now a type of short-time working model made for this particular corona virus situation. It is important that there will be a material financial support from the “Arbeitsmarktservice” (AMS). Some of the prerequisites are individual agreements with the employees concerned, who in a first step have to consume their remaining vacation from previous vacation years as well as all other time credits. Short-time work is possible for all employees, certain departments or special groups of employees.
Austrian social security authority (ÖGK)
The ÖGK supports the companies with some very significant payment facilities in order to handle this emergency situation. The following measures have been in force since March 16, 2020:
- Pending contributions are not urged
- An automatic deferral takes place if the contributions are not paid, only partially or not on time
- Installment payments are accepted informally
- There are no recovery measures
- No bankruptcy applications will be made
These measures will apply until further notice but are expected to last for the contribution periods February, March and April 2020. Legal regulations are planned and further information is expected soon.
Please let us know if we can help you with any further information.
We wish you and your families all the best in this special situation.
Best regards
Manfred Gross
Vienna, March 2020
