Bank Taxes

Cernko Criticizes VBAG Bail-Out

Willibald Cernko, CEO of Bank Austria considers that the Austrian state reacted too late. A partly nationalization could have taken place already one year before.

March 9, 2012

Bank Taxes: Nowotny Supports Government

OeNB´s governor Ewald Nowotny defends the coalition plans to raise bank taxes by 25%.

March 7, 2012

VBAG´s Rescue Endangers Austerity Targets

In 2012, savings should reach € 576m. However, only write-offs in VBAG cost € 700m. The Austrian government seeks for additional revenues.

February 29, 2012

Partial Nationalization of VBAG Planned

The financially stricken Austrian bank receives new capital. The Republic of Austria makes contributions of € 1.05bn. Bank taxes will increase.

February 27, 2012

Constitutional Court: Bank Taxes in Line with Constitution

A complaint over bank taxes by Austrian banks was disapproved. According to the court, banks were primarily responsible for the economic crisis.

February 3, 2012

Austrian Enterprises Fear Nationalization in Hungary

Nationalization plans induce fierce criticism against the Hungarian Government. The Austrian waste management industry would be hit hard.

January 2, 2012

Treichl: „9% Quota Is Adequate“

The CEO of Erste Group, Andreas Treichl, is optimistic to achieve the prescribed 9% tier 1 capital quota by mid-2012.

December 10, 2011

Slovak Bank Tax Is Going to Hurt Austrian Banks

On Thursday the Slovak parliament has officially approved a bank levy. The tax is one of the measures taken by the government to strengthen the Slovak budget.

October 21, 2011

Profit Situation of Austrian Banks Improved Significantly

The banks recorded a positive development in the first quarter. However, net profits of the full year will fall as a result of the newly introduced bank tax.

June 27, 2011

Ikrath: "Bank Tax Should Fall in 2012"

Once the proposed bank rescue fund is set up, there should be no more national bank tax, says Michael Ikrath from the Sparkassenverband (Savings Banks Association).

March 19, 2011

Stepic: Austria is Destroying its Business Location

The CEO of Raiffeisen International Bank (RBI), Herbert Stepic, considers the domestic business location to be in grave danger.

February 12, 2011

Bank Tax is "untimely" for ÖVAG

The Austrian Volksbank Group's CEO, Gerald Wenzel, expects expenditure of € 40m due to the bank tax.

February 8, 2011

Federation of Trade Unions Calls for "Tax Justice"

A new debate is sparking off in Austria, and possibly also a tax reform. The Gewerkschaftsbund (ÖGB, Federation of Trade Unions) wants workers to be tax-unburdened.

January 18, 2011

Bank Taxes: „Job Cuts or Price Increase”

According to Michael Ikrath, bank representative of the “Sparkassen”, the new charges for Austrian banks are the highest in Europe.

January 17, 2011

Treichl: Massive Criticism on Austrian Government

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group criticizes the Austrian Government for its fiscal and structural policy. 2011 would be the last chance for reforms.

January 16, 2011

Bank Tax in Poland?

The Polish government is considering levying taxes on banks already in 2011. From the Austrian perspective, Raiffeisen Bank International would be affected.

January 5, 2011

Bank Austria CEO Cernko: Austrian Banks Fight Securities Tax

The CEO of Bank Austria, Willibald Cernko, was interviewed by the newspaper “Kurier”. He announced that Austrian Banks will call the Constitutional Court.

December 29, 2010

Higher Bank Tax for Bank Austria

The UniCredit-subsidiary Bank Austria will have to pay a bigger amount of the bank tax in 2011. The contribution in the following year decreases.

December 27, 2010

Urgent Need for Capital at Austrian Banks

Walter Rothensteiner, Chairman of RZB as well as the Credit Division of the Economic Chamber, considers that domestic banks are under massive capital pressure.

December 21, 2010

Triple-A Rating: Treichl vs. Nowotny

The Chairman of the Erste Group is not convinced anymore by Austria's financial policy; the Governor of the National Bank however, still stands on "AAA".

December 3, 2010

Bawag is Profitable Again

The Austrian bank Bawag PSK, now owned by the U.S. fund Cerberus, is to have profits again this year: € 100m are expected.

December 2, 2010

The Budget is Finally Set

After weeks of discussions about the 2011Austrian Federal Budget, the final details were announced today. There are very few amendments to the original project.

November 30, 2010

aws Has Expansion Plans

The state-owned SME financing agency aws will double its fund volume to € 160 million, and extend its investments.

November 25, 2010

BKS and BTV Show Profit Growth

The two sister banks report strong profits. Expectations are cautiously optimistic.

November 22, 2010

Erste Group: Job Reduction in Hungary

The Austrian bank plans to cut 250 jobs in Hungary. Reasons are the bad loans and the introduction of the bank tax.

November 11, 2010

Bank Boss Confirms: Bank Tax will be Passed on to Customers

Massive criticism of the federal government is also coming now from the boss of Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB). Bank customers will have to bear both the bank tax and the securities tax.

November 8, 2010

Bank Tax: Constitutional Concerns

Banks are to contribute a fixed tax amount based on the values given for 2010 for three years. Constitutional jurists consider this modus operandi as "highly questionable".

November 8, 2010

Bank Tax: Only 185 Million Remain for the Federation

In negotiations with the provinces, the federal government surprisingly yields to pressures: proceeds from the bank tax will be divided.

October 29, 2010

Bank Tax: 0.055% Instead of 0.04%

The new "stability tax" has been increased slightly. A tax on derivative transactions will also be applied. The tax will however not be temporary.

October 28, 2010

Bank Tax: Demands for Time Limit Becoming Louder

Financial politicians and banking representatives already argue before approval of the draft law, if the bank tax to be introduced in 2011 is going to have a time limit.

October 27, 2010

New Budget: Details and Reactions

The entire tax package will bring additional revenues for around 1.2 billion euro. There are further saving measures for 1.6 billion euro. Reactions from the economic actors are ambivalent.

October 25, 2010

New Budget, New Taxes

The budget includes a new austerity package, which consists essentially of taxes on mineral oil, tobacco and banks.

October 25, 2010

Bank Austria CEO Cernko: No More Bank Tax Soon

Due to Basel III, location reasons and to safeguard jobs, the bank tax will only be effective temporarily, according to Cernko

October 22, 2010

Raiffeisen CEO Stepic: The Crisis in Eastern Europe is Not Over Yet

The RBI boss explains why recovery is taking longer, why his institute does not want to pay back the state capital yet, and why he considers that Raiffeisen is being treated unfairly.

October 22, 2010

Hungary gives bank tax its blessing

The new Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not abandon the highly controversial tax, as decided in Parliament.

July 22, 2010

Hungary rejects additional austerity measures

Hardened front between the Hungarian government on the one hand and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the EU on the other side: highly-indebted Hungary has ruled out further austerity measures.

July 19, 2010

Hungary rejects amendments to bank levy

At the start of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Hungarian government ruled out an amendment of the introduction of the controversial bank tax.

July 7, 2010
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