Austrian Ministry of Finance: Further adjustment of interest rates by 0,75%

Overview

On 14 September 2022, the Austrian Ministry of Finance published a decree on the adjustment of rates for deferral interest, interest on arrears (“Anspruchszinsen”), interest for suspension (“Aussetzungszinsen”), interest for appeal (“Beschwerdezinsen”), and VAT interest. This decree replaces the decree of 26 July 2022, with which the interest rates were only recently raised by 0.5%.

The rates for deferral interest, interest on arrears (“Anspruchszinsen”), interest for suspension (“Aussetzungszinsen”), interest for appeal (“Beschwerdezinsen”), and VAT interest depend on the applicable prime interest rate (Sec 212 para 2, 212a para 9, 205 para 2, 205a para 4, 205c para 5 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code).

Pursuant to Section 1 of the Base and Reference Rate Ordinance, the prime rate changes in accordance with the interest rate applied by the European Central Bank to its main refinancing operations.

After years of constantly low interest rates and thus only pandemic-related temporary interest rate adjustments (deferral) or suspensions (interest on arrears), the decision of the Governing Council of the ECB, which provides for a further 0,75% increase in the prime interest rate, results in the following interest rates effective as of 14 September 2022. 

Applicable interest rates as of 14 September 2022

•  Deferral interest rate pursuant to Sec 212 para 2 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 2.63% (until 30 June 2024 pursuant to Sec 323c para 13 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code)
•  Interest on arrears (“Anspruchszinsen”) according to Sec 205 para 2 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 2.63%.
•  Interest for suspension (“Aussetzungszinsen”) according to Sec 212a para 9 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 2.63%.
•   Interest for appeal (“Beschwerdezinsen”) according to Sec 205a para 4 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 2.63%.
• VAT interest according to Sec 205c para 5 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 2.63% (application according to Sec 323 para 75 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code)