GIS Changes 2024 – Who Has to Pay?

Starting January 1, 2024, the GIS contribution will be abolished in Austria. The new ORF contribution will be mandatory for nearly all Austrian households, regardless of whether they receive Austrian Radio and Television (ORF) channels.

In this article, we will address the questions related to the new contribution, helping you quickly understand what to expect in the near future.

What Was GIS About Until Now?

GIS was considered a “boogeyman” for Hungarians moving to Austria, a type of tax they had not previously encountered directly. It’s important to clarify at the beginning that in most countries, public broadcasting services are funded by taxpayers through various taxes. However, in Austria, this has been given a specific name.

Gebühren Info Service (GIS) GmbH was responsible for collecting Austrian radio and television fees and has been performing this role since 1998, closely cooperating with the Ministry of Finance. Under the previous regulations, households had to pay a GIS fee for every device capable of receiving television and radio broadcasts.

Disputes arose because many people did not watch or listen to ORF broadcasts, yet still had to pay due to having such devices. Of course, some tried to evade the system, hiding their televisions during GIS inspections and/or not opening the door to inspectors.

We received an unexpected GIS inspection shortly after moving in, despite having registered with GIS and expressed our intention to pay. Once the situation was clarified, the inspectors promptly left our home.

What Exactly Is the New ORF Contribution?

The ORF contribution is a new form of public broadcasting funding that will come into effect in Austria on January 1, 2024. The ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH will be responsible for collecting the fees. According to the new law, from that date onward, every household will be required to contribute to the operation of public television and radio channels. It’s important to note that it applies to households, not individuals, so it doesn’t matter how many people are registered at a given address.

The ORF contribution will be €15.30 per month for each Hauptwohnsitz (primary residence), with an additional provincial fee potentially added. This amount is lower than the previous GIS fee, which varied between €22.45 and €28.65 per month, depending on the province. Additionally, the new law states that the ORF contribution does not need to be paid for a Nebenwohnsitz (secondary residence).

How Can the ORF Contribution Be Paid?

If you are already registered with GIS and have been paying the fees, there is nothing special you need to do. ORF-Beitrags Service will automatically transfer your details to the new system starting January 1, 2024.

Note! If your bi-monthly GIS payment would cover January 2024, then GIS will only invoice for December 2023. The portion for the second month will already fall under the new ORF contribution, and ORF-Beitrags Service will issue the bill. As a result, their first invoice will cover three months, including one month of the old GIS fee and two months of the new ORF contribution. Once this transitional higher billing is done, the next invoice will return to the usual two-month period billed by ORF-Beitrags Service. If your last GIS invoice covers November-December 2023, the new ORF contribution will start with two months since GIS will not need to invoice for the second month.

If you previously received an exemption from paying GIS, you don’t need to take any further action; no new application is required. You will be notified in writing before the exemption expires. Changes in your personal information (name, address change, bank account number) can also be reported online via a form for registered GIS users.

Regarding payment methods: New payment options will be in place for new registrations starting January 1, 2024:

• For payment by check, the fee is payable annually.
• For bank transfers, installment payments are possible, with 2 or 6 payments per year.

Important information: The ORF fee must always be paid in advance.

Who Can Request an Exemption from the ORF Contribution?

Those who previously received an exemption do not need to submit a new application, but new registrants or those who have not used this option before can still request an exemption.

This can now be done through ORF. Those receiving childcare benefits (Beihilfe zum Kinderbetreuungsgeld), scholarships (Studien-/Schülerbeihilfe), or unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld) may be exempt from the fee payment.

You can find the detailed list on the GIS website. There is also a quick online calculator there where you can immediately see if you qualify for an exemption. Click here to open the GIS (ORF) contribution calculator.

Important! As mentioned above, there is no need to pay for a Nebenwohnsitz. The exception is if this address is someone else’s Hauptwohnsitz because, in that case, the address is liable for payment.

What Should Be Done for New Registrations?

At every Hauptwohnsitz, one adult person must be registered, regardless of whether there is a television or radio device at the address.

You can complete the registration on the GIS website here, without needing to appear in person. Exemption requests can also only be submitted upon registration.

If your Nebenwohnsitz is someone else’s Hauptwohnsitz, then registration is still required under the ORF-Beitrags-Gesetz. If no one registers for a Hauptwohnsitz, residents will be called upon to fulfill their obligations, meaning someone must pay the new contribution for the given address.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Update January 11, 2024

The first letters have arrived, sent by OBS – ORF Beitrags Service. The invoice contains two items: the ORF-Beitrag contribution and the provincial fee. Payments must be made to the ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH account at IBAN AT67 3100 0004 0401 1011, with the specified invoice number in the Zahlungsreferenz field.