The private foundation (Privatstiftung) is the civil law cousin of the common law trust.A grantor must endow the Privatstiftung with assets of at least EUR 70,000 (at the time of writing) in the form of cash or in kind. If capital is raised as a contribution in kind, an audit is required.
In Austria private foundations which meet certain criteria currently enjoy a number of fiscal advantages
Private foundations are considered corporate entities for tax purposes and therefore subject to corporate income tax at the standard rate. However unlike other corporations they benefit from a number of fiscal advantages:
Dividend Income: Dividend income received by a private foundation on a shareholding held in a resident or non-resident corporate entity is exempted from corporate income tax in the hands of the private foundation. (In Austria dividend income received by a resident corporation from a non-resident corporation is only exempted from corporate income tax if certain strict criteria can be met with regard to percentage ownership of the company and the time that the shareholding has been owned). However, the international participation exemption for dividend income is only applicable in cases in which foreign withholding taxes have not been reduced under a tax treaty.
Interest Income and Capital Gains: Interest income from bank deposits, bonds or mutual funds as well as capital gains from the disposal of substantial shareholdings, i.e. 1% or more, are subject to a 25% tax rate. Such tax will be credited against withholding tax on distributions to beneficiaries. (In Austria capital gains are taxed as corporate income and resident corporate entities are not exempted from corporate income tax on the profitable disposal of shares in a resident entity).
Income distributed by the private foundation is currently subject to a final withholding tax of 25% whether the recipient is an individual or a corporation, and this may be reduced by tax treaties. Thereafter no taxes are payable by the recipient. If however the recipient is an individual with a lower marginal tax rate part of the withholding taxes may be re-claimed. Where the recipient is a corporate entity no reclaim can be made but taking into account the rate of corporate income tax and the fact that no more taxes will be levied on the income distributed, this fiscal treatment potentially represents a substantial fiscal concession.
N.B. A foundation is not allowed to carry on business, agricultural or forestry activities (except as side-line activities) nor to take over the management of or assume personal liability for a partnership.
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