Caution: New rules for private flights to Austria!

[AN2 Driver]

Folks,

got aware of this today. New law in Austria will effectively ban flights with passengers to that country unless the owner/operator of each individual airframe appoints a fiscal representative to declare and cash in the new national passenger tax.

Legislation here: Flugabgabegesetz (German) (http://www.trytofly.at/petition/dokumente/flugabgabegesetz-1.pdf)

There is a petition out to counter this and other stuff, see here:

Petition (German) (http://www.trytofly.at/petition/petition.php)

According to this the new law will become valid after March 31st.

The implications are very serious indeed and would in fact amount to a total ban for foreign GA aircraft unless they are willing to have themselfs pre-registered and represented by an Austrian lawyer.

[Captain Smithy]

Seems a mite OTT and more than a hint of fascism, nay? Bizzare to say the least.

What do the ICAO annexes make of this? I was sure there was something that prohibited this thing amongst ICAO states? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Smithy

[vihai]

Does this include gliders? Even if only overflying?

[LH2]

Well, I can't see anybody willingly wanting to go to a country with such a high concentration of Austrians, but if having to land there (e.g., under duress) I expect everyone on the plane will be designated "crew" :E

[AN2 Driver]

My inital take on this is, that someone while writing this law, had either forgotten, was not aware of the existence of or maliciously and on purpose included private, non commercial aviation in this. If it's the former, they'll have to sort it out before April 1st, if not, so much the more.

The background seems to be the "ticket tax" imposed by Germany. The Austrians, not to be left behind, now decided to also impose such a tax. While both are contraproductive, the difference seems to be that in Germany, the tax is applicable to commercial ops only with several exceptions, whereas the Austrians seem to have gone the other way and declare it applicable even to ULM's.

All that would not be more than another nuissance tax, but the way they wish to levy it is totally weird. If at all, levy it together with the landing/departure fee and be done with? Easiest and quickest. Instead, forcing you to pay for this through a lawyer, self declare it, e.t.c. is a bureaucratic madness without equal.

Let's but some pressure on. IAOPA, are you reading this?

[thing]

Don't fly to Austria, spend your hard earned somewhere else. Northen Italy by the Dolomites is just as gorgeous IMO and the inhabitants are a bit nicer...

[IO540]

One reason I like the TB20 is that it can overfly a whole load of these funny countries, in one go. Only in Greece does one finally have to capitulate and compromise :)

I cannot believe Austria will actually do this. It is barmy.

[thing]

'One reason I like the TB20 is that it can overfly a whole load of these funny countries, in one go. Only in Greece does one finally have to capitulate and compromise

I cannot believe Austria will actually do this. It is barmy.'

Joking apart, have you ever considered a DA42? I must admit, if I had the wonga I think that would be the one for me with the Austro engines option.

[Jan Olieslagers]

Don't fly to Austria, spend your hard earned somewhere else. Northen Italy by the Dolomites is just as gorgeous IMO and the inhabitants are a bit nicer... This rule already applied to my road travelling, it won't be too hard to include it in my flying habits - if ever they reach that far. Hard to understand these Austrians, though: I've met quite a lot of nice people there, and yet they have these silly laws that really make potential visitors shun them. I always understood tourism was one of their main money makers?

[thing]

I used to work in northen Italy and we used to nip over the Dollys into Austria for the drive. About two hours over the mountain passes in an Alfasud. I can remember the engine sound now. But Aus always struck me as being overpriced and if not overtly unfriendly then not exactly 'Thank you for spending your hard earned here instead of over the border'. Still, it's a beautiful country,

[hambleoldboy]

I think this only affects:

-Graz
-Insbruck
-Klagenfurt
-Linz
-Salzburg
-Wien

according to an email from EAS Switzerland, after speaking to 'Amstdirektor' Bartel in Vienna.

They advise that if using one of the above airfields simply plan to land at a GA airfield before leaving Austria.

[IO540]

They advise that if using one of the above airfields simply plan to land at a GA airfield before leaving Austria.

They are completely mad.

What people will do is what people have been doing since the invention of aviation, when they have to deal with certified a**eholes on the ground: file for the "acceptable" destination and when in the air divert elsewhere.

Europe (not the UK) appears to be able to knock up long IFR routings and insert them into the system so long diversions will be doable, in many if not most cases getting out of Austria.

[172driver]

Well, they are only copying the UK, arent' they? After all our wonderful former government invented the 'air passenger duty' (or whatever this thing is called). :yuk:

Looks like the Austrians drafted this one a bit on the fly (if you forgive the pun), making it a catch-all.

In any case I think hambelodlboy is correct, as text refers to 'International Airports'.

Idiocy, nonetheless...... :ugh:

All that said, I wouldn't be surprised if we were to see more of this. Basically all governments are broke and are trying to extract as much money from of any conceivably taxable activity. AENA wth their landing fees, the Austrians with their passenger tax, the list will only grow....

[AN2 Driver]

Guys,

even if it is "only" the big airports, they are about the only ones with IFR in that place. Plus, I don't give a garbage about those 8 Euros, one gets used to being ripped off, but about the registration and chartered accountant or whatever you need to have in order to be bl**dy able to PAY the :mad: thing. Why can't they just cash it in at the C-Office like in every civilized place and some not civilized too?

Apart, this does not "only" shut us private operators out, but it also makes it virtually impossible for ad hoc charter ops and other stuff which is perfectly normal just about everywhere else.

So I hope someone will knock some sense into them. Maybe those Koeln four letter demolition squad can finally prove their worth and tell that minister where to get off the merry roundabout?

[172driver]

Looks like this has been resolved. Just received an email (I signed the petition) informing that this whole idiocy has been withdrawn. Don't have a link, sorry.

Funnily enough, almost at the same time got an email from N-FLYERS.
If we could get EASA to listen as much as the Austrians seem to do......

[Katamarino]

Great, I'm planning to fly to Salzburg later this year; with only "crew" on board, of course :ok:

[maxmobil]

Indeed, only the airports
-Graz
-Insbruck
-Klagenfurt
-Linz
-Salzburg
-Wien

are affected and ONLY for a/c with MTOM above 2 tons. IFR/VFR does not matter.

Leaving Austria from an airport mentioned above via a small airfield does not help You either as also domestic flights are subject to the levy, in that case also EUR 8.- as for short (read: very short..) haul flights.

Tax exempted persons on board are:
active cockpit or cabin crew
crew on transportation to/from duty
infants (max 2years) without own seat

Not subjected to the levy:
-airfields
-transit stops with less than 24 hours
-diversion landings

Stupid tax, I know. If someone still needs a tax representative to handle it give me a private message, I might be able to help.

Max

[IO540]

How exactly does the collection work?

It sounds barmy.

Let's say I want to fly UK to Vienna (to attend a course on cellar construction). What would be the exact procedure?

[maxmobil]

In short:

1. before the first departure from an airport in Austria:
Find a tax representative (I know one) and send the registration form to the relevant tax office in Austria (or let the taxrep send it)

2. after every month that included a flight from an Austrian airport give your taxrep a summary with the relevant flight and pax details, the taxrep will file and send reports to the airports visited and the tax office, charge yiur tax and forward it to the tax office

3. after year's end the taxrep will file a yearly report.

It's stupid but not impossible and should not prevent you from flying to Austria. The tax collectors are a minority here..

[maxmobil]

172driver,

the tax has not been withdrawn but aircraft up to 2tons MTOM are now excempted.

[jxc]

That road tax is a rip off, they should do a 1 day Vignette Hungary maybe the UK should charge all foreign trucks and cars
Sorry rant over

[maxmobil]

@silvaire,

to be fair you should add that the extra fee for the two passes was probably for "grossglockner" and the freeway across "hohe tauern". One being a mountain pass that can be kept open only half the year and the other a freeway with tunnels and protective measures against avalanches, all very expensive to maintain. I guess the road to "pike's peak" is not free either.

Ever went to German Freeway gas stations? Pay 0,7 EUR to go to the loo, pee for free in Austria instead.

Austria is a beautiful and great place to live and visit, in spite of taxes and other burdens, but free health system, affordable museums (compare these to UK) and other amenities are also worth mentioning.

The best of all is a VFR flight through the alps, tax free

[proudprivate]

:p


Let's say I want to fly UK to Vienna (to attend a course on cellar construction).


Cellar construction courses are given at LOLG, not at LOWW. It would therefore be exempt of the new tax. LZTN is the usual alternate.

The well known course on cellar construction near EBCI has been shut down a while ago.

[mutt]

1. before the first departure from an airport in Austria:
Find a tax representative (I know one) and send the registration form to the relevant tax office in Austria (or let the taxrep send it)

We flew into Vienna earlier this month, we spent a lot on landing fees, handling fees, catering, transport, hotels........ and now you want us to pay 8 Euro per passenger and A FEE TO THE TAX AGENT? Why can't it just be added to the airport charges without an expensive middle man?

Mutt

[Jan Olieslagers]

Ever went to German Freeway gas stations? Pay 0,7 EUR to go to the loo, pee for free in Austria instead.

There may be subtle differences between a German hedge and an Austrian, but I failed to observe any over several decades of road travel. Of course hedges and other accommodation are far more enjoyable in France and Italy, but then we can't expect to have everything.

[maxmobil]

@mutt: Why can't it just be added to the airport charges without an expensive middle man?

After studying the fairly stupid law and the crazy procedure I have to admit that this is the one question everybody has to come up with.
I don't know, I am sure nobody knows.

I am offering You advice and translation for free, and I can act as Your tax rep if needed (not for free) but I certainly didn't invent the tax.



@jan: the price for reverse drinking is about the same in Belgie if I recall my De Haan holiday correctly, but that's already long ago, must be almost a week now.
How's the vilvoorde viaduct file doing in daily traffic?

[Jan Olieslagers]

I certainly didn't invent the tax But could you swear you didn't vote for them that did?

The price for reverse drinking is about the same in Belgie if I recall my De Haan holiday correctly, but that's already long ago, must be almost a week now. As a rich person from a rich country, you shouldn't complain if you choose to stay in the most expensive region of another rich country, and that in plain tourist season. But I much like your terminology, "reverse drinking" has been added to my dictionary of colloquial English. Not sure if it's going to help achieve my level 6 proficiency (profficiency?) , though.

How's the vilvoorde viaduct file doing in daily traffic? Not too bad, the traffic jams are not much longer than they used to be. We Belgians are great side-steppers, though, the secondary roads below are quite crowded, and will be for the next couple of months.

[IO540]

What I cannot understand is why Austria does not collect this tax via the airport, or why it simply doesn't increase its route charges which are collected by Eurocontrol on behalf of each country.

[maxmobil]

@IO540: Nobody does..
Especially as the justification for the tax as "general aviation did not pay taxes so far" is totally wrong as you know

@Jan: Being married to a Belgian woman I hope the "sidestepping" refers only to driving ;-)

[Jan Olieslagers]

I've heard (and once participated in) pictoresque exchanges on 126,9, too - you'll appreciate my reluctancy to elaborate in the public domain. But as yet none were related to marital or ex-marital frolics.

[mutt]

I can act as Your tax rep if needed (not for free)

We carried 3 passengers, so owed 24Euro..... but I'm really curious as to how much we have to pay in total considering the tax rep wont be acting for free :)

Mutt

[maxmobil]

The only tax rep I know of charges 250.- setup fee and 50% of the taxes, allegedly plus 100.- monthly.

I consider this as too expensive and am figuring out a different scheme depending on number of movements/tax declarations irrespective of pax numbers as 1 or 50 pax cause the same amount of work. I won't charge for periods without flights. But for quotes I need the access to the online system first, hopefully next week.

Cheers,
Max

[mutt]

So a 24 euro charge turns into 1462 Euro....... Amazing system :)

Mutt

[maxmobil]

Exactly.

That's the reason why I think a different (read: more reasonable) scheme might be appreciated.

"Buy You a drink" does not qualify, however ;-)


If anybody needs a translation to fill in the famous Form "Flug9" it's here:

11 FIRMENWORTLAUT (oder Nachname, Vorname) = COMPANY NAME (or SURNAME and given name of aircraft owner)
SHAKESPEARE William
12 österr. Steuernummer wenn vorhanden = Austrian tax number (if applicable)
-
13 UID-Nummer = VAT number (if applicable)
-
14 österr. Firmenbuchnummer wenn vorhanden = Austrian company register number (if applicable)
-
21 Strasse = Street
Downing Street
22 Hausnummer = Number
10
23 Stiege = Stair (if applicable)
-
24 Tür = Door number (if applicable)
-
25 Land (Autokennzeichen) = Country (int. Car code, e.g. GB for Great Britain)
GB
26 Ort = City
London
27 Postleitzahl = ZIP
SW1A 2AA
28 Telefon = Phone number incl. Internat. Area code
+44 123456789