For expats and IT freelancers in Austria
Freelancing in Austria, with the paperwork in English
Write invoices that meet Austrian requirements, collect your receipts and see your VAT figures, while the interface stays in English. Your invoices and official forms stay German, as Austrian customers and authorities expect.
Who this is for
You work for yourself in Austria, but German is not the language you think in. These are the situations we built this page for.
Developers and IT consultants
You bill hours or projects to Austrian companies, agencies or clients abroad and want invoices that meet Austrian requirements.
Expats starting out
You recently moved to Austria and are registering as self-employed for the first time: designers, translators, coaches, consultants.
Freelancers with EU clients
Some of your clients are businesses in Germany, the Netherlands or elsewhere in the EU, so Reverse Charge and the UID-Nummer matter to you.
Side businesses next to a job
You are employed and do freelance work on the side, and need clean records for your annual Einkommensteuererklärung.
Getting started as self-employed in Austria
- 1
Gewerbe or Neue Selbständige?
Some activities need a Gewerbeberechtigung (trade licence, registered via GISA or at the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or Magistrat); others count as Neue Selbständige (self-employed without a trade licence). Many IT services are a Gewerbe. The WKO and the SVS advise on which applies to you.
- 2
Social insurance with the SVS
As a self-employed person you are insured with the SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) for health, pension and accident insurance. Clarify with the SVS when your insurance starts and put money aside for contributions.
- 3
Tax number and VAT status
Report your new business to the Finanzamt (tax office) to get a Steuernummer. Decide whether you use the Kleinunternehmerregelung (no VAT for small businesses, turnover limit € 55.000 since 2025) or charge VAT. If you work for businesses in other EU countries, you need a UID-Nummer (EU VAT number).
- 4
Invoices and receipts
Every invoice must contain the details required by § 11 UStG. For EU business clients, Reverse Charge applies (the client pays the VAT) and the sales go into the Zusammenfassende Meldung (EU sales list). Keep every Beleg (receipt) for your expenses.
- 5
VAT returns and the annual tax return
If you charge VAT, you file an Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung (UVA, VAT return) in FinanzOnline. Once a year you file the Einkommensteuererklärung with forms E1 and E1a: by 30 April on paper or by 30 June via FinanzOnline.
What Finonur does for you
Invoices in German, compliant with § 11 UStG
Create invoices as PDF and send them by e-mail. The Kleinunternehmer note (§ 6 Abs. 1 Z 27 UStG) is added automatically if it applies to you.
Reverse Charge for EU business clients
Invoices to EU businesses with Reverse Charge, a check of the client's UID-Nummer via VIES, and the figures for your Zusammenfassende Meldung.
Receipts from photo or PDF
Upload a receipt and Finonur recognises amount, date and vendor. You check and confirm the result.
Einnahmen-Ausgaben-Rechnung and UVA figures
Your income and expenses are recorded in an Einnahmen-Ausgaben-Rechnung (cash-based bookkeeping), and your UVA figures are prepared. You file them in FinanzOnline yourself.
What to set aside
An estimate of how much to put aside for Einkommensteuer and SVS contributions, so the tax bill does not come as a surprise. It is an estimate, not tax advice.
Export for your Steuerberater
Export your data as CSV or Excel for your tax adviser. BMD and DATEV exports are available as Beta. Your data is stored in the EU.
Austrian terms you will come across
These terms appear on forms, letters and invoices in German. We keep them in German so you recognise them, and explain each one in a sentence.
- Einnahmen-Ausgaben-Rechnung (E/A-Rechnung, EÜR)
- Simple cash-based bookkeeping: you record income and expenses when money is actually received or paid, and your profit is the difference.
- Doppelte Buchhaltung (Doppik)
- Double-entry bookkeeping with debit and credit accounts, required for GmbHs and for businesses above certain turnover limits.
- Umsatzsteuer (USt)
- Austrian VAT that you add to your invoices (usually 20 %) and pass on to the tax office, unless you are a Kleinunternehmer.
- Vorsteuer
- Input VAT: the VAT you paid on business purchases, which you can deduct from the VAT you owe if you charge VAT yourself.
- Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung (UVA)
- Monthly or quarterly VAT return in FinanzOnline in which you report VAT charged and input VAT and pay the difference.
- Kleinunternehmerregelung
- VAT exemption for small businesses with low annual turnover: you charge no VAT and cannot deduct input VAT.
- UID-Nummer
- Your EU VAT identification number (starting with ATU), needed for invoices to business customers in other EU countries.
- Steuernummer
- Your personal tax number at the Austrian tax office, used for your income tax and VAT filings.
- Finanzamt
- The Austrian tax office responsible for your income tax, VAT and tax number.
- FinanzOnline
- The Austrian tax office's online portal where you file your VAT returns and income tax return.
- Einkommensteuererklärung (E1, E1a)
- Annual income tax return: form E1 covers your total income, and E1a is the supplement with the profit from your business.
- SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen)
- The social insurance institution for self-employed people in Austria, covering health, pension and accident insurance.
- Gewerbeberechtigung (Gewerbeschein)
- Trade licence you need before starting a business activity that falls under the Austrian trade regulations.
- GISA (Gewerbeinformationssystem Austria)
- The official Austrian register of trade licences, through which a Gewerbe is registered.
- WKO (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich)
- The Austrian Economic Chamber: businesses with a trade licence are members, and it offers advice to people starting a business.
- Einzelunternehmen
- Sole proprietorship: you run the business in your own name and are personally liable for its debts.
- e.U. (eingetragenes Unternehmen)
- A sole proprietorship that is entered in the Firmenbuch, which gives it an official company name.
- GmbH
- Limited liability company, a separate legal entity with its own accounting and tax obligations.
- Personenbetreuung (24-Stunden-Betreuung)
- Live-in care for people in their homes, which in Austria is a separate trade of its own.
- Rechnung nach § 11 UStG
- An invoice containing all details required by Austrian VAT law, such as names, addresses, date, invoice number, amounts and VAT.
- Kleinbetragsrechnung
- Simplified invoice for small amounts that needs fewer mandatory details than a full invoice.
- Reverse Charge
- The customer, not you, pays the VAT; common for services to business customers in other EU countries.
- Zusammenfassende Meldung (ZM)
- EU sales list: a report to the tax office of your sales to business customers in other EU countries, with their VAT numbers.
- Beleg
- Any receipt or document that proves a business transaction, such as an invoice, till receipt or bank statement.
- Kassabuch
- Cash book in which you record every cash payment received and made, with a running balance.
- Registrierkasse
- Certified electronic cash register that businesses with significant cash sales in Austria must use.
- Mahnung
- Payment reminder you send to a customer who has not paid an invoice on time.
- Storno / Gutschrift
- Cancellation or credit note that reverses an invoice in full or in part instead of deleting it.
- Bilanz
- Balance sheet showing assets, liabilities and equity on a specific date, part of double-entry bookkeeping.
- Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung (GuV)
- Profit and loss statement showing income and expenses for a period, part of double-entry bookkeeping.
- Firmenbuch
- The Austrian company register in which companies such as GmbHs and registered sole proprietors (e.U.) are entered.
- Steuerberater
- Licensed tax adviser in Austria who can advise you on tax matters and file returns on your behalf.
Frequently asked questions
+Do I need a Gewerbe for IT freelancing?
It depends on what exactly you do. Many IT services require a Gewerbeberechtigung, while some activities count as Neue Selbständige. The WKO and the SVS can tell you which applies. Finonur does not register a Gewerbe for you.
+Can I create invoices in English?
No. The interface is in English, but invoices are created in German. That is what Austrian customers and the tax office expect, and the mandatory details under § 11 UStG are included.
+How does Finonur handle clients in other EU countries?
For business clients in the EU, Finonur creates Reverse Charge invoices, checks the client's UID-Nummer via VIES and prepares the figures for the Zusammenfassende Meldung.
+Should I use the Kleinunternehmerregelung?
Many freelancers starting out do, as long as their turnover stays below € 55.000. Whether it is the better choice for you depends on your clients and expenses; ask a Steuerberater. If you use it, Finonur adds the required note to your invoices.
+Does Finonur file my UVA or tax return?
No. Finonur prepares the figures; you or your Steuerberater file them in FinanzOnline. Finonur also does not file anything with the SVS.
+Can I work with my Steuerberater?
Yes. You can export your data as CSV or Excel; BMD and DATEV exports are available as Beta.
Pricing
Starter is free (€ 0): 5 invoices and 10 receipts per month, 5 customers. Professional costs € 14,90, Business € 29,90 and Enterprise € 49,90 per month. You can cancel any time.
- The interface is in English, but invoices are created in German, and official forms (FinanzOnline, SVS, GISA) remain German.
- Finonur does not file anything with FinanzOnline or the SVS. It prepares your UVA figures; you or your Steuerberater submit them.
- Finonur does not register a Gewerbe for you and does not give tax advice. The amounts to set aside for Einkommensteuer and SVS are estimates.
- There is no bank connection yet.
- BMD and DATEV exports are still in Beta.
Start with your first invoice
Create an account on the free Starter plan and write your first invoice in German, with an English interface.
Start for free