Austria charges a 5% advertising tax (Werbeabgabe) on most paid advertising — including DOOH. Who owes it, how it's calculated, and how it differs from VAT.
30-second takeaway: Austria's advertising tax is 5% of net advertising revenue under the Werbeabgabegesetz 2000 (Federal Law Gazette I No. 29/2000). The advertising service provider — not the advertiser — is the legal taxpayer. The 5% is charged in addition to the standard 20% VAT and must be filed by the 15th of the second following month. DOOH advertising in Austria is clearly subject. Slovakia has no equivalent tax.
First-time advertisers in Austria almost always trip over the same line item on their invoice: the advertising tax. 5% sounds small, but it adds up, often shows up too late in budgeting, and is regularly confused with VAT. This post explains what the tax actually is, who owes it, how it's calculated and reported, and what you need to look for as an advertiser or screen operator.
Christian Starzengruber
Founder, adyoutiser
Ich habe Adyoutiser 2025 in Wien und Bratislava gestartet, weil Bildschirmwerbung keine Agentur brauchen sollte. Wir haben ein Buchungs-Tool gebaut: Bildschirm auf der Karte auswählen, Werbung hochladen, zahlen — live in unter 5 Minuten, ab €2. Wir veröffentlichen unsere Roadmap öffentlich und antworten auf jede E-Mail innerhalb von 24 Stunden.
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