Compare taxes and see how much you save moving from Austria to UK
Austria and the UK both have progressive income tax systems, but Austria's combined burden of income tax plus social contributions significantly exceeds the UK at most professional salary levels. Austrian income tax has six bands reaching 50% above €93,072 (and 55% above €1 million), and employee social contributions add approximately 18.12% on employment income — covering health, pension, unemployment, and accident insurance. The UK's income tax (20/40/45%) plus National Insurance (8%) is high, but Austria is typically 12–18 percentage points more expensive in effective total deduction at comparable incomes of €70,000–€150,000. Austria has strong compensating benefits: generous public healthcare (Krankenkasse), comprehensive unemployment insurance (AMS), and a well-regarded state pension. Post-Brexit, UK citizens moving to Austria now require a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) rather than simply registering.
Top Rate (above €93,072)
Plus 18.12% employee social contributions
Additional Rate
Plus 8% National Insurance
At £100,000 income:
That is £1,167/month back in your pocket!
| Income | AT Tax | GB Tax | Savings | 10-Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €45,000 / ~£40,000 | ~€8,100 income tax + ~€8,154 social contributions = ~€16,254 (~36%) | ~£6,540 income tax + ~£2,216 NI = ~£8,756 (~22%) | UK saves ~£9,000 | £90,000 |
| €70,000 / ~£62,000 | ~€17,000 income tax + ~€12,684 social contributions = ~€29,684 (~42%) | ~£11,140 income tax + ~£2,816 NI = ~£13,956 (~23%) | UK saves ~£13,000 | £130,000 |
| €100,000 / ~£89,000 | ~€30,800 income tax + ~€16,700 social contributions = ~€47,500 (~47.5%) | ~£22,832 income tax + ~£3,752 NI = ~£26,584 (~30%) | UK saves ~£14,000 | £140,000 |
| €130,000 / ~£115,000 | ~€46,000 income tax + ~€18,600 social contributions (approaching cap) = ~€64,600 (~50%) | ~£34,432 income tax (PA phased out) + ~£4,032 NI = ~£38,464 (~33%) | UK saves ~£17,000 | £170,000 |
| €200,000 / ~£178,000 | ~€83,000 income tax + ~€18,600 social contributions (capped) = ~€101,600 (~51%) | ~£57,932 income tax + ~£4,432 NI = ~£62,364 (~35%) | UK saves ~£20,000 | £200,000 |
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Set Up Compliant Austrian or UK Employment →Austria's income tax bands (2026): 0% to €11,693, 20% to €19,134, 30% to €32,075, 41% to €62,080, 48% to €93,072, 50% above €93,072 (55% above €1M). The UK: 0% to £12,570, 20% to £50,270, 40% to £125,140, 45% above. At comparable professional salaries, Austria's income tax alone is higher — before adding social contributions of 18.12%. At €100,000, Austria's effective income tax rate is approximately 31% vs the UK's ~25%. Adding social contributions takes Austria to ~47.5% total effective deduction vs the UK's ~30%.
Austrian employees pay approximately 18.12% of gross salary in social contributions: pension insurance (ASVG) 10.25%, health insurance 3.87%, unemployment insurance 3%, accident insurance 0.1%, housing subsidy 0.5%, chamber of workers 0.5%. There is a contribution ceiling (Höchstbeitragsgrundlage) of €6,060 per month (2026), meaning contributions are capped at approximately €13,100/year. Above ~€72,700 annual salary, the marginal social contribution rate drops to near zero — so the effective social contribution rate falls at higher salaries.
Yes, but not as freely as before. UK citizens who were already legally resident in Austria before January 1, 2021 are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement and hold Aufenthaltsdokument-GB status. New arrivals from the UK are treated as third-country nationals: they need a Red-White-Red Card (for skilled workers earning above the salary threshold, approximately €3,000–€4,500/month depending on role), or an EU Blue Card (for university graduates in shortage occupations earning above the threshold). Employers must apply on behalf of the employee in most cases. The process typically takes 4–8 weeks.
For most professional salary levels, London produces significantly higher take-home pay both in absolute terms and as a percentage of gross. London salaries in tech, finance, and professional services are typically 20–40% higher than Vienna equivalents in the same role. Combined with the UK's lower effective tax rate (30% vs Austria's 47% total at €100,000), a comparable role pays materially more net in London than Vienna. Vienna's advantages are quality of life — consistently ranked among the world's most liveable cities — lower cost of living than London, and superior public services financed by those higher taxes.
Most Austrian employment contracts include a 13th month salary (Christmas bonus, Weihnachtsgeld) and 14th month salary (holiday pay, Urlaubsgeld), each equal to one month's gross salary. These are taxed at a flat 6% rate (rather than the marginal income tax rate), making them more valuable than regular salary. For example, an employee earning €80,000 base salary receives approximately €6,667/month gross in the 13th and 14th month at only 6% tax — keeping ~€6,267 net per payment vs ~€3,500 net if taxed at marginal rates. When comparing Austrian vs UK salary offers, ensure you factor in the 14-month Austrian structure.