Tip-up dispute: Mikl-Leitner and Doskozil are calling for reforms!

Tip-up dispute: Mikl-Leitner and Doskozil are calling for reforms!

Wien, Österreich - The debate about the taxation of drinking money in Austria has increased in intensity in the past few weeks. The governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, and the governor of Burgenland, Hans Peter Doskozil, both spoke out for a new regulation. In the "Kronen Zeitung", Mikl-Leitner calls for a complete liberation of the tip of taxes and taxes. This is necessary to reduce the tax and tax load and to promote drinking money as a valuable form of performance fees. At a time when the economic framework is challenging, Doskozil is also optimistic and urges a solution that takes into account both the interests of employees and companies.

tips play an important role in many industries and represent a significant part of the income for many employees. Especially in the catering and hairdressing trade, drinking money is not only common, but also important for the financial security of the employees. At the moment, drinking money is often freed from the tax, but tax regulations differ greatly, depending on the industry and the federal state. In Vienna, for example, there is a flat rate of around 60 euros per month for waiters; However, amounts that exceed this sum are subject to full social security obligation.

inconsistent regulations and legal challenges

The situation is complicated: Although drinking money is usually tax -free, there is no legal upper limit for the amount. High -priced tips that can be in five -digit amounts are treated as taxable income. To ensure that the rules are fair, the current coalition of ÖVP and SPÖ plans to evaluate the different tax regulations in detail. WKÖ President Harald Mahrer also supports this initiative and calls for standardization.

In addition to the tax aspects, drinking funds are also subject to social security contributions. This obligation not only affects voluntarily paid drinking money, but also those for which there is a legal claim. Current legal disputes show that the Cologne Finance Court has recently decided that payments that are referred to as drinking money but exceed high values ​​are considered taxable wages. In this context, the legislature has abolished the former allowance of 1,224 euros, which further increased the uncertainties.

The confusion caused by these inconsistent regulations affects not only the employees, but also the employers who have to navigate in uncertain financial waters. The criticism of the high additional claims of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) on tips for tips shows how urgently clarification and uniform regulation are necessary. At a time when many companies are under economical pressure, a reform could not only benefit the employees, but also help companies to create fair and transparent conditions.