Best Online Brokers in Austria 2026
FMA-regulated and MiFID II passported brokers for Austrian investors — ranked by fees, 27.5% KESt capital gains tax and platform quality for 2026.
✅ FMA / MiFID II
🇦🇹 27.5% KESt
💶 €20k Investor Protection
📊 Vienna / ATX
🔬 Tested with real accounts
🔄 Last updated: September 2026 · Reviewed by WhichBroker Research Team
⚠️ Risk warning: Investing involves risk of loss. Capital is not guaranteed. Some links on this page are affiliate links — this does not affect our rankings.
What to check before choosing a broker in Austria
Austria has a clean flat-rate capital gains tax (KESt), a straightforward regulatory environment under FMA/MiFID II, and a small but active retail investment market. The key practical distinction is whether your broker handles KESt automatically.
1. Who regulates it? FMA (Finanzmarktaufsicht) is Austria's financial markets regulator. Austria is an EU member — MiFID II passporting applies to all EU/EEA brokers. UK FCA-only brokers are not valid without a separate EU entity. Verify at fma.gv.at.
2. KESt — the 27.5% flat capital gains tax. Austria levies a flat Kapitalertragsteuer (KESt) of 27.5% on capital gains, dividends and interest from investments. Austrian banks and brokers withhold this automatically — you don't need to file separately for those accounts. Foreign EU brokers (DEGIRO, XTB, Trade Republic) do NOT withhold KESt — you must declare and pay it yourself in your annual Einkommensteuererklärung (Veranlagung).
3. Special rate for savings interest. Interest on bank savings accounts is subject to 25% KESt (not 27.5%). This distinction matters if you hold uninvested cash at your broker.
4. Does the broker handle the Veranlagung or inländische KESt? Austrian brokers with a banking licence (Erste Bank, Raiffeisen Depot, Flatex Austria) deduct inländische KESt (domestic KESt) at source — simplifying your tax obligations significantly. Foreign EU brokers require ausländische KESt declaration via the Veranlagung. This distinction drives many Austrian investors toward domestic banks despite higher fees.
5. ETF savings plans are growing. Trade Republic and Flatex have driven Austrian ETF savings plan adoption significantly. Austria's retail market is smaller than Germany's but growing rapidly among younger investors influenced by German financial influencer culture.
Top 4 Best Online Brokers in Austria — Detailed Reviews
Commission
0% (up to €100k/mo)
CFDs / Forex
✓ 5,800+ instruments
KESt handling
Self-declare
Investor protection
ICF €20k
DG
DEGIRO
★★★★☆
Best low-cost
Commission
€1 + €1 handling
KESt handling
Self-declare
IB
Interactive Brokers
★★★★½
Best for advanced
Commission
From $0.005/share
CFDs / Forex
✓ Forex + futures
Investor protection
SIPC $500k / €20k
KESt handling
Self-declare
TR
Trade Republic
★★★★☆
Best neobroker
Commission
€0 plans / €1 manual
ETF savings plan
✓ From €1
Cash interest
Up to 3% p.a.
Deposit protection
€100k (bank)
⚠️ Investing involves risk of loss. CFD trading carries high risk — 51–80% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Capital is not guaranteed.
How to Get Started with a Broker in Austria
1
Decide: automatic KESt vs Veranlagung
Austrian brokers (Erste Bank, Raiffeisen, Flatex Austria) handle KESt automatically — simpler for most investors. Foreign EU brokers (DEGIRO, XTB, Trade Republic) require you to declare gains via Veranlagung. Weigh convenience vs lower commissions.
2
Open account with FinanzOnline credentials
Austrian KYC requires ID (Reisepass or Personalausweis) and proof of Austrian residence. Most brokers complete KYC digitally in 1–2 days. Austrian residents can use FinanzOnline for tax filings once using a foreign broker.
3
Fund via SEPA or bank transfer
All listed brokers support SEPA bank transfers. Austrian bank accounts (Erste Bank, Raiffeisen, Bank Austria) provide free SEPA transfers. Trade Republic also supports card funding.
4
File Veranlagung if using foreign broker
Foreign broker income requires Veranlagung via FinanzOnline. Declare gains, dividends and foreign accounts annually. Keep your broker's annual reports in a format that can feed into Austrian tax software (e.g. Taxando, wundertax).
🇦🇹 Austria: Country Environment Blueprint
Passporting / Access
✅ Fully accepted. Any EU/EEA-regulated broker can serve Austrian residents via MiFID II. UK FCA-only brokers are NOT valid post-Brexit.
Investor Protection
€20,000 Austrian investor compensation scheme. Bank deposits at Austrian banks: €100,000 under DGS.
Capital Gains Tax (KESt)
27.5% Kapitalertragsteuer on capital gains and dividends. Savings interest: 25% KESt. No annual tax-free threshold. Austrian brokers withhold automatically (inländische KESt). Foreign brokers require self-declaration via Veranlagung.
Dividend Tax
Same 27.5% KESt applies to dividends. Austrian company dividends withheld at source by Austrian payers. Foreign dividends require Veranlagung with foreign tax credits under applicable tax treaty.
Loss offsetting
Losses can offset gains within the same tax year. Austrian brokers automatically net gains and losses across accounts at the same institution. Cross-broker netting requires Veranlagung.
Zukunftsvorsorge
State-subsidised Geförderte Zukunftsvorsorge: state-subsidised long-term savings product. Annual government bonus up to €108 (4.25% of max €2,540 contribution). Capital guarantee on contributions. Must be held until retirement.
Betriebliche Vorsorge
Employer pension Employer-funded pension (Abfertigungskasse). Mandatory for employees since 2003. Managed by Vorsorgekassen (pension funds). No direct broker relevance but part of Austrian retirement planning.
No ISA/PEA equivalent
❌ Austria has no direct equivalent of the UK ISA or French PEA. KESt applies to all investment gains above €0.
US ETF Access (PRIIPs)
⛔ US-domiciled ETFs restricted for EU retail investors. Use UCITS equivalents: Vanguard FTSE All-World (VWCE), iShares Core MSCI World (IWDA), Amundi S&P 500 (CSP1).
Domestic Exchange & Index
Wiener Börse (Vienna Stock Exchange) · Index: ATX (Austrian Traded Index)
Key stocks: OMV (OMV.VI), Erste Group (EBS.VI), Verbund (VER.VI), voestalpine (VOE.VI), Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI.VI)
What Austrian Investors Need to Know in 2026
Austria's investment market is distinctive in that domestic banks still dominate — Erste Bank's George platform and Raiffeisen's Mein Depot remain widely used despite higher fees, because they handle KESt automatically and most Austrians are accustomed to their bank's one-stop-shop model. The shift to low-cost brokers is happening but more slowly than in Germany or the Netherlands.
Trade Republic has made significant inroads in Austria, particularly among under-40 investors. Its combination of €0 savings plan commissions, up to 3% interest on uninvested cash, and German-language support makes it a natural fit. The KESt self-declaration requirement for Trade Republic users is the main friction point, but tools like wundertax and Taxando have made this significantly easier to manage.
🏠 Local Platforms to Know
EB
Erste Bank (George Invest) — Austria's largest bank. Full KESt handled automatically. Integrated with George banking app. Higher commissions but full compliance and ATX access.
RZB
Raiffeisen Mein Depot — Second-largest Austrian bank. Automatic KESt. Broad asset access. Popular with existing Raiffeisen banking customers.
FLX
Flatex Austria — Discount broker with Austrian entity. Lower fees than full-service banks. Automatic KESt handling. Good ETF selection. Popular among cost-conscious Austrian investors.
EAB
easybank / Hello bank! — BNP Paribas subsidiary. Online bank with discount brokerage. Automatic KESt. Lower fees than traditional banks. Good for combined banking and investing.
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How we chose these platforms
Our team opened real accounts, deposited funds and tested each platform in Austria. We evaluate FMA/MiFID II regulation, KESt handling (automatic vs Veranlagung), ETF savings plan access, fees and platform usability for Austrian investors. Rankings are updated regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is capital gains tax calculated in Austria? +
Austria levies a flat 27.5% Kapitalertragsteuer (KESt) on capital gains, dividends and interest from financial investments. Bank savings interest is taxed at 25% KESt. There is no annual tax-free threshold. Austrian brokers and banks withhold KESt automatically (inländische KESt). Foreign EU brokers require self-declaration in the annual Veranlagung via FinanzOnline.
Do foreign EU brokers handle Austrian KESt? +
No. Foreign EU brokers (DEGIRO, XTB, Trade Republic, IBKR) do not withhold Austrian KESt at source. Austrian residents using these brokers must declare all gains, dividends and the 27.5% tax owed in their annual Einkommensteuererklärung (Veranlagung) via FinanzOnline. Austrian-entity brokers (Erste Bank, Raiffeisen, Flatex Austria) handle it automatically.
What is the Austrian investor protection limit? +
Austria's investor compensation scheme protects up to €20,000 per investor. This is the EU minimum and applies to investment accounts. Bank deposits at Austrian credit institutions are separately protected up to €100,000 under the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS). Trade Republic as a German bank provides €100k bank deposit protection.
Can EU brokers legally operate in Austria? +
Yes. Austria is an EU member state so any EU/EEA-regulated broker can legally serve Austrian residents under MiFID II passporting — no Austrian entity required. UK FCA-only brokers are not valid post-Brexit without a separate EU licence. Verify broker registration at fma.gv.at.