Austrian Ministry of Finance: Adjustment of interest rates per 0.50%
Increase of interest rates by 0.50% due to the BMF decree of 11 September 2026
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Overview
On 11 September 2026 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”), VAT interest (“Umsatzsteuerzinsen”) and refund interest for financial aids from former COFAG (“Rückerstattungszinsen für Förderungen der ehem. COFAG”). This decree replaces the decree dated 6 June 2025.
The rates for deferral interest, interest on arrears, interest for suspension, interest for appeal, VAT interest and refund interest depend on the applicable prime interest rate (Sections 212 para 2, 212a para 9, 205 para 2, 205a para 4, 205c para 5 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code, Sec. 16 “COFAG” Reorganization and Settlement Act (COFAG-NoAG)).
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. Changes of less than 0.50 percentage points since the respectively last change of the prime rate remain out of consideration.
The decision of the Governing Council of the ECB of 10 September 2026 resulted in an increase of 0.50 since the last adjustment of the interest rates of the Austrian Ministry of Finance. Therefore, the following interest rates apply effective as of 16 September 2026.
Applicable interest rates as of 16 September 2026:
- Deferral interest rate pursuant to Sec. 212 para 2 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 6.53%
- Interest for suspension according to Sec. 212a para 9 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 4.03%
- Interest on arrears according to Sec. 205 para 2 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 4.03%
- Interest for appeal according to Sec. 205a para 4 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 4.03%
- VAT interest according to Sec. 205c para 5 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code: 4.03%
- Refund interest according to Sec. 16 para 1 first sentence COFAG-NoAG: 4.03%
- Refund interest according to Sec. 16 para 1 second sentence COFAG-NoAG: 3.03%
Overview of changes in interest rates:
* From 1 July 2024, the deferral interest pursuant to Sec. 212 para 2 Austrian Federal Fiscal Code will be 4.5% above the applicable prime rate per year.
