Accounting and bookkeeping in Austria

An Austrian GmbH keeps double-entry books, and the annual financial statements drawn up from them are filed with the commercial register (Firmenbuch), where third parties can read them. For an owner abroad, that means the Austrian ledger runs on the local timetable rather than the group’s, and in a form the Austrian tax office accepts. Sole traders and small partnerships may be allowed simpler records, so the right setup depends on the legal form and size of the business. Bookkeeping, the periodic VAT figures and payroll all draw on the same receipts and bank lines, which is why most foreign owners hand all three to one practice.

Firms offering accounting in Austria

18 more firms offering accounting in Austria

What to ask an Austrian accounting firm

Ask whether the person on your file is a Steuerberater or a Bilanzbuchhalter, since the two Austrian professions are licensed for different work. Ask which accounting software the firm uses and whether you can see the books online or only receive reports. Agree how receipts reach the firm each month, in which language the management figures arrive, and who prepares the year-end statements for the register. If your group reports under other standards, ask whether the firm can deliver a reporting package for the parent next to the Austrian accounts.

Firms on Accountanty

Accountanty lists 42 firms that keep accounts in Austria, all with offices in Vienna: 40 accounting firms and two corporate service providers. Twenty-seven are small, nine medium-sized and six part of large networks. Forty-one work in German and 35 in English, and six each add Russian or Italian. Thirty-nine of the 42 also run payroll and 38 handle tax compliance, so the ledger, the salaries and the returns can stay with one Austrian firm. Real estate is the sector they name most often, by 17 firms. For the returns built on these books, see tax compliance in Austria.

Frequently asked questions

Are the accounts of an Austrian GmbH public?

Its annual financial statements are filed with the Firmenbuch, the Austrian commercial register, where they can be consulted. How much detail a company files depends on its size, so ask your accountant what yours will submit and by which date.

Can I keep the books of my Austrian company myself?

You can record the transactions, but the year-end statements and the returns have to meet Austrian rules, and most owners abroad leave at least that work to a firm. Ask whether the firm will review books you keep yourself, and what the review is charged at.

Other services in Austria

Accountants by city in Austria

Setting up a company in Austria: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.