Chamber of Crafts Munich raises the alarm: Austria's bonus disadvantaged Bavaria!

Chamber of Crafts Munich raises the alarm: Austria's bonus disadvantaged Bavaria!

In a current dispute between Germany and Austria, the Austrian craftsman bonus is targeted by the Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria. The coveted subsidy for private building contracts is criticized as an unjustified aid, which caused the chamber to submit a complaint to the EU Commission. According to Frank Hüpers, the chief managing director of the chamber, this bonus disadvantaged their members, since only companies based in Austria can benefit from the funding. "We see it a hidden disadvantage of our members and the preference for Austrian companies," said Hüpers on Friday.

The Austrian craftsman bonus under fire

The craftsman bonus in Austria enables private individuals to get 20 percent of their labor costs for craft services up to 2,000 euros a year. From 2025 the maximum amount will drop to 1,500 euros. However, the chamber criticizes that this grant tempt customers to commission domestic Austrian businesses, which economically disadvantage their own members. "Customers rather hire a craftsman from Austria because they know that only they benefit from the funding," said Hüpers. The number of the concerned German craft businesses is apparently much higher than known.

In addition, another incident causes excitement: the European public prosecutor's office is investigating several companies for possible frauds in the EU-financed repair bonus. At the end of November, over 230 police officers searched 37 objects in Austria, which led to 15 arrests. These incidents throw a bad light on the current culture of funding in the region and are closely related to the topic of the craftsman bonus. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung , the chamber is behind its decision and "We do not allow," that our craftsmen are disadvantaged in their own homeland. ”