When You Must Report It

Gifting Bitcoin in Austria: When the Gift Reporting Duty Applies

Giving bitcoin to your children, your partner or your friends does not trigger a general gift tax in Austria. A notification to the Austrian tax office may still be required.

The Austrian Federal Fiscal Code provides for a reporting duty on lifetime gifts of certain assets. Alongside cash and shareholdings, that also covers intangible assets. Cryptocurrencies can fall into this category. What matters above all is the value of the gift and the relationship between the donor and the recipient. 

For Relatives, the Threshold Is 50,000 Euros

Gifts between relatives are generally free of any reporting duty as long as the fair market value of the gifts made by the same person within one year does not exceed 50,000 euros. 

The definition of a relative is drawn widely. It includes, for example:

• spouses
• registered partners
• parents and children
• grandparents and grandchildren
• siblings
• uncles and aunts
• nephews and nieces
• cousins
• cohabiting partners as well as certain further relatives

Anyone who gives their child bitcoin worth 30,000 euros, and makes no further countable gifts in the relevant year, generally does not have to report that gift under section 121a of the Federal Fiscal Code.

Once the total value rises above 50,000 euros, a reporting duty can arise. 

For Other People, the Threshold Is Lower

Between people who do not count as relatives for tax purposes, the exemption threshold is only 15,000 euros over five years. Gifts made by the same person to the same recipient are added together. 

An example:

• 2024: bitcoin worth 8,000 euros given away
• 2026: a further 10,000 euros in bitcoin given away

Total value within five years: 18,000 euros.

That takes the gift over the 15,000-euro threshold, and a gift notification can become necessary.

Which Bitcoin Value Counts?

The fair market value of the transferred assets is what counts for the thresholds. For tradable bitcoin, it can generally be established from the market value at the time of the gift. The Ministry of Finance states in general terms that where an asset has an obvious value, that value goes into the gift notification; where the value is not obvious, an estimate of the fair market value is sufficient.

Investors should therefore document in particular:

• the date and time of the transfer
• the amount of bitcoin given away
• the bitcoin price used
• the euro equivalent
• the wallet addresses
• the transaction ID
• the relationship between donor and recipient

Gift Reporting Thresholds Compared

Bar length relative to the highest value (50,000 euros). Source: section 121a of the Federal Fiscal Code and statements by the Ministry of Finance as reported in the article; example value taken from the worked example in the text. As of August 25, 2026.

The Report Must Be Filed Within Three Months

Where a reporting duty exists, the gift generally has to be reported within three months. If the threshold is crossed only through several gifts, the deadline starts with the gift that first pushes the relevant value over the line. The report is generally filed electronically. It is enough for one of the persons subject to the duty to file it in time. Both the donor and the recipient can in principle be obliged to report. 

No Report Does Not Automatically Mean Tax

The gift notification has to be distinguished from a gift tax. Austria currently levies no general inheritance and gift tax. The notification mainly serves to document larger transfers of assets. With bitcoin in particular, that can matter later on. If the recipient sells the coins years afterwards, they have to be able to explain where the holding came from and which tax history was carried over.

What Happens to the Acquisition Costs?

A gift does not simply reset the tax history of the bitcoin. Where assets are acquired without consideration, the historical acquisition data of the previous owner is generally what counts for a later calculation of taxable gains. In other words: a high bitcoin price on the day of the gift does not automatically become the recipient’s new acquisition price for tax purposes. Alongside the blockchain transaction, the donor should therefore also pass on the original purchase data and acquisition costs wherever possible.

Not Reported: Possible Penalties

A deliberate failure to report can have consequences under fiscal criminal law. The Ministry of Finance cites a possible fine of up to 10 percent of the fair market value of the gifted assets. A missing report can also become a problem later on where increases in wealth cannot be explained. The taxpayer may then have to prove that the bitcoin did in fact come from a gift.

Conclusion

Bitcoin can generally be given away tax-free in Austria, because there is no general gift tax. Above certain value thresholds, however, a gift reporting duty can arise. For relatives the threshold is generally 50,000 euros within one year, and for other people 15,000 euros within five years. Anyone transferring larger bitcoin holdings should therefore secure more than the blockchain transaction alone and also document the market value, the original acquisition costs and the family or personal relationship involved.

(As of August 25, 2026. This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures change; check the terms with the provider before you buy.)