Austria's coalition has agreed on a wide-ranging package to curb tax fraud and close loopholes, according to Der Standard. Measures include ending the ability of foundations and GmbHs to reclaim VAT on luxury property developments worth over €2 million and stopping refunds of the car registration tax when damaged cars are sold abroad. The package is expected to bring in around €270 million in its first year.
Other measures target social fraud, limit large cash payments at tax offices to €10,000, and approve next-generation tobacco heaters, which are forecast to generate up to €30 million in additional tax revenue. Several proposals, such as stricter rules on research premiums and broader access to bank registers, were dropped during negotiations.
Austria qualifies for the World Cup after 28 years
A 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium was enough to send Austria to the 2026 World Cup, as reported by ORF Sport. After an early Bosnian goal by Haris Tabakovic, Austria pressed for an equaliser, eventually finding it through Michael Gregoritsch in the 77th minute. The stadium erupted as Austria secured its first World Cup ticket since 1998.
The result places Austria among the 48 teams heading to the tournament in Canada, the US and Mexico. The squad will now await the group draw on December 5th in Washington.
Klimt portrait sells for record-breaking $205 million in New York
A portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt has sold for $205 million after a tense half-hour bidding battle at Sotheby's, Die Presse reported. The anonymous buyer secured the work from the collection of the late Leonard Lauder. With fees, the final price reached $236.4 million, making it the most expensive Klimt ever sold at auction.
The portrait, painted between 1914 and 1916, once belonged to one of Vienna's most prominent Jewish families. It is unclear where the painting will now be housed, with Sotheby's only confirming the buyer bid via phone.
Police confirm double murder in Tyrol after discovery of bodies
A Syrian woman and her 10-year-old daughter, missing since July 2024, were found dead in Innsbruck last week. The case is being treated as a double murder, according to Kurier. Two Austrian brothers, aged 55 and 53, are under urgent suspicion. The bodies were discovered hidden behind a plasterboard wall inside freezers at the younger brother's apartment.
Investigators say the older brother has admitted to concealing the bodies but denies murder. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the cause of death has not yet been determined.
What's happening in Austria today
The federal government meets at 10am for the weekly Ministerrat in Parliament, followed by a press conference with Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer.
Committees in the National Council discuss transport, ethnic group matters, consumer protection and upcoming debates on media funding, inflation measures and equal opportunities for girls in technical fields. In the afternoon, the StartWien integration programme offers an information event on jobs and training in Hindi and Punjabi.
In Vienna, the State Parliament begins its fifth session of the period, covering healthcare reforms, housing support, the Vienna Minimum Income Act and a debate initiated by the FPÖ on conditions in the healthcare system.
Across Austria, Red Wednesday events will see around 220 churches and public buildings illuminated in red to raise awareness of religious persecution.
Austria faces a cold late-autumn day with widespread morning frost. Many valleys in the north, east and centre start between -4C and -1C, while Vienna, Linz and Graz begin around -2C to 0C. Low cloud and fog linger through the morning in the Danube region, Upper Austria and parts of Styria.
Western Austria, including Tyrol and Vorarlberg, has a brighter day with more sunshine and highs near 6C-7C. Eastern and central regions remain cooler, reaching only 4C-5C. Winds stay light country-wide and no major precipitation is expected, making travel conditions generally stable despite the cold.