Regular and Special Payments (Laufende und sonstige Bezüge)
Definition
Austrian payroll distinguishes two kinds of pay: regular pay (laufende Bezüge, the regular monthly salary) and special payments (sonstige Bezüge, mainly the 13th and 14th salary, but also bonuses). Special payments get the favourable treatment under § 67 EStG: after an annual allowance they are taxed at just 6 % within the Jahressechstel (annual sixth). Social insurance differs too, special payments carry no chamber-of-labour levy and have their own annual cap instead of the monthly contribution ceiling.
Key figures (2026)
The chamber-of-labour levy applies to regular pay only, so employee SI on the 13th/14th is lower by that rate. For special-payment SI, twice the monthly HBG applies as the annual limit.
See also
- Sonderbezüge (§ 67), the preferential taxation in detail.
- Höchstbeitragsgrundlage, monthly cap vs. annual cap for special payments.
- SV-Beitragssätze, which contributions apply to which pay.
- Lohnsteuer, the taxation of regular pay.
Sources: § 67 EStG, § 49 ASVG, § 54 ASVG, ASVG-Beitragsrecht 2026.