Thinking of buying an investment property for sale in Austria?

There are a number of income tax and VAT benefits when you commercially rent out Austrian property, making it an excellent investment.

Income Tax Advantages

To get the VAT discount, you must be ready to rent out your new property. Think of it as an investment, and use it as a holiday home. Simply rent it out the other months of the year and make a profit, plus qualify for up to a 20% savings on your taxes. In order to qualify for the VAT refund, you must show that you rented your property professionally for 20 years and showed a profit.

In some cases, this only counts as a back tax, and you will have to pay the gross price and then claim the back tax at a later date.

However, sometimes this is not necessary, and the developers will actually offer you the discount up front, when you buy the property, and you need only pay the net price up front.

VAT

With the 20% discount, you will have the opportunity to claim all or part of the VAT.

If you decide that you would like to take advantage of the VAT rebate, you can rent your property to those on holiday and then pay taxes on the income you make from rentals. The interest you pay on that home’s mortgage will then be written off against your profits, and 10% of your furniture costs can also be written off as depreciation–from the wear and tear of renters.

11,000 Euro Exemption

There is an 11,000 Euro exemption, too, that you may qualify for. If you rent to those on holiday and pay your taxes in Austria, then you are eligible for an 11,000 Euro exemption each year, per person. If you claim the VAT back on your purchase, you are required to be VAT registered for 20 years, but after that, you can deregister.

Make sure that you are charging a VAT of 10% on your rentals, too, as this can be reclaimed each quarter. It is a good idea to have a local tax adviser help you with this and all tax returns.

Taxes

There are several taxes that should be taken into consideration when purchasing an investment property for sale in Austria.

These include the Tourism Tax, a Capital Gains Tax and an Inheritance Tax.

The Tourism Tax is charged to guests when they rent your property. The rate varies from 80 cents to 3 euros, per night, for each guest over the age of 14.

The Capital Gains Tax is 25%, and it applies to any profits you have made on your property. This tax helps to keep housing prices in reach.

And finally, the Inheritance Tax no longer applies, as it was abolished in 2008.

Austria is known for its beautiful natural landscapes as well as its sophisticated urban areas. Whether you love the idea of swimming in its alpine lakes or the idea of shopping in Vienna, Austria has something for you.

Explore these five attractions when you come to Austria:

The Kunsthistorisches Museum

This museum of fine art and history is home to Rubens masterpieces, Rembrandt’s Self Portrait, Raphael’s Madonna in the Meadow and more. It is housed in an amazing palatial building in Vienna, and it opened in 1891. The building that houses the museum was commissioned by the emperor, which explains its lavish décor: marble, stucco ornamentation as well as gold-leaf.

The Great Outdoors

Those who come to Austria often know of its deeply carved valleys, its rocky mountain flanks and its beautiful lakes. If you have not yet visited, you must plan to take a hike or rent mountain bikes, as these are the best ways to reach the area’s isolated alpine meadows.

Or, take a cable car or chairlift up; during winter, these are the best way to reach the slopes, too.

Architectural Feats

Austria is well known for the many baroque church interiors and historic palaces that dot the city. When you come, visit Schloss Belvedere to see its Gothic masterpieces, like Stephansdom.

However, you might be surprised to note that Austria is also a country with some impressive contemporary architectural pieces, as well.

Visit Vienna’s Museums Quartier, or go to see Ars Electronica in Linz, and you will note this more contemporary facet of the country. A stroll alongside the illuminated Kunsthaus Graz will leave you amazed, mouth open in wonder.

Pubs and Coffee Houses

A trip to Austria would not be complete without mention of its wonderful food and coffee house experiences, either. In Vienna, head to the traditional coffee houses that can be found all around. These are perfect the perfect way to take in the city’s homespun atmosphere.

Or, take in a meal at a traditional Beisln (which is a bistro pub) where you find delicious goulash and among other treats.

Wine Regions

In regions like the Waldviertel, the Danube Valley and southern Styria you will find some fantastic wines among their picturesque landscapes.

And there are a number of traditional Heurigen (or wine taverns) all around. These are wonderful places to experience the local specialties, like their gourmet wines.

Snow reports are noting fresh snow on the ground, as well as excellent skiing conditions, but many areas have been closed over the weekend. However, over 100 ski resorts stayed open for skiers.

All across the Alps, visitors will find mixed weather, with snow falling above the 1,700m line. Additionally, reports are predicting another half meter over the next few days.

It seems that winter is back, and with a vengeance.

Murren, in Switzerland, was closed this past weekend after more than 30cm fell. Snow was also reported in Verbier.

In Austria the weather is also changing. A great deal of snow fell over the past few days, which is a great way to end the season. The afternoon snows were light, but the temperatures overnight were very cold, so the snowpacks refroze, offering great spring conditions for skiers.

Other ski resorts that closed this weekend included La Rosiere and its neighbour La Thuile. These Italian resorts were closed for the entire weekend.

Val d’Isere and Tignes saw fresh snow this past weekend, as well.

Also note that some resorts in Europe reported more than 5m bases and ones in North America reported 3.9m bases. And there was also fresh snow reported at the Piau Engaly resort.

Most of the closed resorts were in the northern hemisphere, but more than 100 remained open.

In the Pyrenees, the Pic du Midi above the resort of La Mongie announced that it will stay open until May 11th. While in The Alps, Val Thorens and Tignes will also close on May 11th.

In Canada, Lake Louise closes on May 11th and so does Hemsedal in Norway.

There are still a few great weeks of the season left! Now that spring is in full swing, there are plenty of other great outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and more.