Guide

Starting a Business in Austria: The Founder’s Guide

Founding in Austria means navigating Gewerbeanmeldung, legal structures, SVS contributions, and a tax system with its own vocabulary. It's more manageable than it looks — if someone hands you the map. I've founded and exited here, and coached 100+ founders through these exact steps. This is that map.

First steps

Before the first invoice: whether Austria is the right base, which legal form fits, and what it actually costs.

Should You Start a Business in Austria?

The honest pros and cons of founding in the DACH market.

The Gewerbeanmeldung: Your First Day as a Founder

Registration, costs, and the bureaucracy nobody explains clearly.

Austrian Legal Structures for Startups

GmbH, Einzelunternehmen, or something else? The practical guide to choosing your Austrian business structure.

GmbH vs Einzelunternehmen: Which Structure Is Right?

The legal decision every Austrian founder needs to make. Simplified.

Co-Founder Agreements Under Austrian Law

Equity splits, vesting, and the conversations most Austrian founders avoid until it's too late.

Startup Costs in Austria: The Real Numbers

GmbH registration, SVS, office, tools. What it actually costs to start.

Taxes, insurance & admin

The part nobody enjoys and everyone gets wrong the first time — Kleinunternehmerregelung, SVS, and the e-government shortcuts that save you days.

The Kleinunternehmerregelung Explained

Austria's small business tax exemption saves you thousands in early years. Here's exactly how it works and when to opt out.

The SVA/SVS Guide for Founders

Social insurance for the self-employed. What it costs, what it covers.

Austrian Tax Optimization for Founders

Legal ways to reduce your tax burden as an Austrian founder. No tricks, just structure.

Austrian E-Government Services for Founders

FinanzOnline, USP, and the digital tools that save you time.

GDPR Compliance for Startups: The Practical Version

GDPR compliance doesn't require a legal department. Here's the minimum viable compliance for an Austrian startup.

IP Protection for Austrian Startups

Patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. What to protect and when.

Building your team

Hiring in Austria comes with Lohnnebenkosten that double your budget on paper — and rules worth knowing before the first contract.

Hiring in Austria: SVS, Lohnnebenkosten, and What Nobody Tells You

The real cost of your first Austrian hire is 30-40% more than the salary. Here's the complete breakdown.

When to Hire Your First Employee

Too early kills cash flow. Too late kills you. Here's the framework.

Building a Remote Team From Austria

Hiring across borders while keeping your HQ in the DACH market.

How to Survive Your First Year as an Austrian Founder

SVS payments, cash flow reality, and the mental game.

Starting up and want a shortcut?

A one-hour session on your setup — legal form, funding route, first-year plan — saves most founders weeks of wrong turns.

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