Austria hikes Vienna nightly tax to 5% as 8% rate looms for next July

Vienna's nightly accommodation tax jumped from 3.2% to 5% on July 1 and it's climbing to 8% next summer.

The new rate math

The Ortstaxe hike, written into the Wiener Tourismusförderungsgesetz, isn't just a rate change. Vienna also scrapped the 11% pauschal deduction that used to shrink the taxable base, so the effective bite is bigger than the headline jump from 3.2% to 5% suggests.

The published schedule:

• Until June 30, 2026: 3.2% of the net room charge, minus an 11% deduction
• July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027: 5% of the net room charge, no deduction
• From July 1, 2027: 8% of the net room charge, no deduction

The base excludes VAT and breakfast. Hotels and short-term rental hosts collect the tax and remit monthly to the city. Vienna projects the changes will pull in an extra €15.5 million ($16.8 million) this year, €52.7 million ($57.1 million) in 2027 and €74.3 million ($80.5 million) annually from 2028.

For stays that straddle June 30, the older rate applies to nights through June 30 and the new one kicks in July 1. Same rule applies at the 2027 changeover.

What it costs a nomad

Short-term visitors and remote workers on stays under three months pay the full Ortstaxe on every night. The exemptions in §11(3) WTFG cover minors in school, enrolled university students and anyone staying continuously more than three months, which pulls most long-stay expats out of the tax entirely.

On a €120 ($130) net nightly rate, the old tax worked out to roughly €3.42 a night. At 5% on the full base, it's €6. At 8% next July, €9.60. A nomad renting a €2,500 ($2,710) monthly serviced apartment for eight weeks now pays around €233 ($253) more in Ortstaxe than they would have in June and about €560 ($607) more once the 8% rate lands.

The three-month exemption is the real lever. Booking a 91-day stay under a single accommodation contract keeps the tax off the bill entirely, which changes the math on anyone deciding between a six-week hotel run and a proper medium-term lease. Anyone weighing longer stays in Austria should price the Ortstaxe into short bookings before comparing them against a three-month rental.