Of the approximately 4.3 million people in employment in Austria, just under 1.7 million could do their office job on the computer from anywhere in the world. If only five percent of them actually emigrated because they pay less taxes in other countries and find better living and working conditions, the Austrian budget could lose almost 500 million euros in wage tax every year: the economic institute EcoAustria issued a warning this week.
“In Austria, the potential of people who could work mobile is not quite 40 percent,” said EcoAustria director Monika Köppl-Turyna. “Of course we’re not assuming that everyone will move out at once.” It was therefore assumed that only five percent of those in work whose job allows them to move abroad and tax their income there do so. That would be around 84,000 people, for example in the IT industry.
Massives Abwerben
First of all, it is important to acknowledge the problem, said Köppl-Turyna. Other countries are already trying to attract mobile people. Last year alone, five European countries introduced “Digital Nomad Visas”, including Germany, Denmark and Croatia, which offer extremely strong tax advantages and thus lead a competition between locations. In terms of the attractiveness of the location, one shouldn’t forget the workers.
It is not just about the tax level, but also about a good health and education system and digital infrastructure.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
