Cryptocurrency in Austria: tax, MiCA and supervision
In short. Crypto is legal in Austria. The Financial Market Authority supervises providers under MiCA, and Vienna is home to Bitpanda, which received its MiCA licence there in April 2025. The tax rule turns on one date. Coins bought after 28 February 2021 meet a flat 27.5% on gains however long you hold them, while older coins stay under the previous regime. A swap from one coin to another triggers no tax.
- TAX RATE
- 27.5%on gains and ongoing crypto income
- HOLDING PERIOD
- Noneyou pay on new coins whenever you sell
- CRYPTO-TO-CRYPTO
- Not taxedthe cost moves to the new coin
- CUT-OFF DATE
- 28.02.2021coins bought up to then are old stock
- WITHHOLDING
- Since 2024Austrian providers deduct the tax
One date splits your coins
Austria rebuilt its crypto tax in 2022. The reform put crypto in the same box as shares and bonds: a special rate of 27.5% on gains and on ongoing income, kept apart from salary so it does not push you into a higher bracket.
The reform reached back a year. Coins bought after 28 February 2021 count as new assets, and the rate applies to them from 1 March 2022. Coins bought up to that date are old stock and stay under the regime in force when you bought them. If you hold both, keep the purchase records apart, because the tax office will ask which coin came from which pile.
What triggers the tax
You trigger it when you sell for euros or pay for goods with crypto. A swap from one coin to another does not count. The cost of the coin you gave up carries over to the coin you receive, so you owe nothing until you leave crypto.
You pay no tax when staking rewards for validating transactions arrive. Airdrops, bounties and coins from a hard fork also arrive tax-free, but with a cost of zero, so you pay on their whole value when you sell. You can set losses against other capital income under the general rules.
Personal mining income counts as ongoing income at 27.5%. A mining business pays on the progressive scale.
Withholding
For income arising after 31 December 2023, an Austrian provider deducts the 27.5% itself, and the deduction settles the tax. With a foreign exchange you declare the gain in your own return.
Supervision
The Financial Market Authority took over supervision of crypto-asset service providers on 30 December 2024 under the MiCA implementation act, the MiCA-VVG. Providers registered earlier under the anti-money-laundering rules could keep operating without a MiCA licence until the end of 2025. That window has closed. A provider licensed in another EU state may serve Austrian clients on its passport.
Bitpanda, the Vienna exchange founded in 2014, received its MiCA licence from the FMA on 9 April 2025.
Allowed
- Buy, hold and sell crypto
- Swap one coin for another without triggering tax
- Receive staking rewards from transaction validation with no tax on receipt
- Set crypto losses against other capital income
- Use a provider licensed anywhere in the EU
Restricted
- Gains on coins bought after 28 February 2021 meet 27.5% however long you hold them
- Providers without a MiCA licence had to stop serving Austrian clients after 2025
- A mining business pays on the progressive scale
How the rules took shape
Cut-off: coins bought up to 28 February 2021 become old stock.
The 27.5% special rate starts for crypto bought after the cut-off.
Austrian providers start withholding tax on crypto income.
The FMA takes over supervision of crypto providers under MiCA.
Bitpanda receives its MiCA licence from the FMA.
The transitional period for previously registered providers ends.
Common questions
Is crypto legal in Austria?
Yes. The Financial Market Authority supervises providers under MiCA, and anyone may buy, hold and sell crypto.
How much tax do I pay on crypto in Austria?
27.5% on gains and ongoing income from coins bought after 28 February 2021. The rate stays the same however much else you earn.
Does holding for a year make my gain tax-free?
Not for coins bought after 28 February 2021, which carry no holding period. Coins bought before that date stay under the old rules.
Is a swap from one coin to another taxed?
No. The swap is not a sale, and the original cost carries over to the new coin.
Does my exchange pay the tax for me?
An Austrian provider withholds the 27.5% on income arising since 2024. With a foreign exchange you declare the gain yourself.
Sources
Other countries
Updated 02.11.2026 · this is reference material, not investment or tax advice