How to start a company in Austria

Last checked: November 2026 · Currency: EUR

Since 2024, Austria has two good options for startups: the classic GmbH and the new FlexCo (Flexible Kapitalgesellschaft). Both need only €10,000 of share capital, with €5,000 paid in cash at founding. The FlexCo was designed for startups: it makes share transfers easier and lets you give employees 'company value shares' (Unternehmenswert-Anteile).

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; always check the official source.

Recommended for co-foundersCo-founder teams that want investors increasingly choose the FlexCo. It costs about the same as a GmbH, but share transfers need only a deed from a lawyer or notary rather than a full notarial act, and employees can hold non-voting company value shares. A GmbH is still a solid and familiar choice.

Company types

Type	Minimum capital	Liability	Best for
FlexCo (FlexKapG) Flexible Kapitalgesellschaft	€10,000 (at least €5,000 paid in cash at founding); minimum €1 per share	Limited	Startups planning to raise investment and give equity to employees
GmbH Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung	€10,000 (at least €5,000 paid in cash at founding)	Limited	Most small and medium businesses; well known to banks and partners
OG Offene Gesellschaft	None	Unlimited (personal)	Testing an idea together; not suitable for investors

Registration, step by step

1
Agree on equity, roles and vestingAgree on shareholdings, who will be managing director (Geschäftsführer), and leaver/vesting rules, and put them in a shareholders' agreement (Syndikatsvertrag).USP – Business Service Portal
2
Choose FlexCo or GmbHCompare the two: the FlexCo offers employee shares and easier share transfers, while the GmbH is the familiar standard. Both require €10,000 share capital and an Austrian notary for the founding documents.WKO – FlexCo (FlexKapG) overview
3
Sign the articles before a notaryAll founders sign the articles of association (Gesellschaftsvertrag) as a notarial act. Founding can also be done electronically with a notary. The notary or lawyer then files the application with the commercial register (Firmenbuch).WKO – Founding a GmbH
4
Open a bank account and pay in the capitalOpen a business account and pay in at least €5,000 in cash, then give the bank's confirmation to the notary for the Firmenbuch filing. The company exists once it is entered in the Firmenbuch.Federal Ministry of Justice (Firmenbuch)
5
Register with the tax office and report beneficial ownersRegister the company with the tax office through FinanzOnline or USP to get a tax number and a VAT ID. You must also report beneficial owners to the beneficial-ownership register (WiEReG), which you can do through USP.FinanzOnline
6
Check trade licence and Chamber membershipDepending on the activity, the company may need a trade licence (Gewerbeberechtigung) and becomes a member of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO). Many software and consulting activities only need a free trade licence (freies Gewerbe).USP – Business Service Portal
7
Register your trade markFile an Austrian trade mark with the Austrian Patent Office, or an EU trade mark with EUIPO for the whole EU.Austrian Patent Office – National trade mark

Costs and time

Item	Amount
Notary, Firmenbuch filing and founding documents (GmbH/FlexCo)	roughly €1,000–3,000 depending on the articles; some fees can be waived for new founders under the NeuFöG Check the official source
Share capital (not a fee, stays in the company)	€5,000 paid in cash at founding (of €10,000 total)
Minimum corporate income tax	€500 per year, even with a loss (counted against later tax)
Austrian trade mark (online)	€294 for up to 3 classes; €75 per extra class Check the official source
Tax adviser for annual accounts and returns	roughly €2,000–5,000 per year for a small GmbH/FlexCo Check the official source

How long it takes: Typically 2–4 weeks from notary appointment to Firmenbuch registration.

Taxes

Tax	Rate	Note
Corporate income tax (Körperschaftsteuer)	23%	Minimum tax of €500 per year for GmbH and FlexCo, paid quarterly.
Capital gains tax on dividends (KESt)	27.5%	Withheld when profits are paid out to individual shareholders.
VAT (Umsatzsteuer)	20% standard (reduced 10%/13%)	Small-business exemption up to €55,000 gross turnover per year.

Protect your name

TrademarkAustrian Patent Office (Österreichisches Patentamt) or EUIPO (whole EU)from €294 online (up to 3 classes), €75 per extra class Check the official sourceTrademark office Trademark basics →

PatentAustrian Patent Office or European Patent Office (EPO)Patent office Patent basics, and when not to bother →

Tips for co-founders

In a GmbH, transferring shares requires a notarial act, so vesting buy-backs are expensive and slow; in a FlexCo, a private deed drawn up by a notary or lawyer is enough.
A FlexCo can issue company value shares (Unternehmenswert-Anteile) to employees: they share in profits and the exit value but have no vote, and transferring them only needs written form.
Leaver/vesting clauses are common in Austrian startup shareholders' agreements, and investors expect them.
The €500 minimum corporate tax applies from the first year even if you make a loss, so budget for it.
Apply for the NeuFöG founders' exemption (via a WKO founder service form) before filing to save on certain fees and charges.

The co-founder agreement checklist →

Official links

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; always check the official source. Last checked: November 2026.

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