Leaving Austria: why Georgia makes the tax due at once

For Austrians moving to Georgia there is one figure that dominates everything else: when the tax falls due. Move within the Union and it can be paid in instalments. Move to Georgia and it is payable at once — on a gain nobody realised.

The construction

Departure ends Austrian access to the unrealised gains in financial assets. Before it disappears it is exercised once: the statute assumes a disposal at market value at the moment of departure and taxes the resulting gain at the special rate for capital assets.

Destination	When it falls due	What to do
EU or EEA Union law compels this relief	instalments on application	apply, service the instalments, meet the duties to cooperate
Third country (Georgia, Switzerland, UAE, USA) no application shifts this	immediately payable	have the liquidity ready before departure

What to settle first

• Valuation of the affected financial assets as at the intended date
• Liquidity for a tax that is immediately payable — before departure, not after
• Actually ending residence and habitual abode, not merely deregistering
• Assuming an intermediate step through an EU state shifts the due date
• Leaving the valuation until the year after departure

The comparison with Germany

Both countries tax the same deemed event, and both attach to the end of unlimited tax liability. Anyone familiar with the German side should still not skim the difference: Germany provides for instalments towards third countries under conditions, Austria does not. The German position is set out in Exit taxation.

Where our competence ends

We are a corporate service provider in Georgia, not Austrian tax advisers. Valuing your financial assets and the question whether and to what extent the provision bites belong with a professional in Austria — before the move takes place. What we take on begins afterwards.

Leaving Austria — frequently asked

How does Austria differ from Germany?

The basic construction is the same: a deemed capital gain at the moment of departure. The difference lies in when it falls due. Germany provides for instalments under conditions even towards third countries; Austria makes it immediately payable.

Is Georgia a third country for this purpose?

Yes. Georgia belongs to neither the EU nor the EEA. The same applies to Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States — the instalment option available for EU and EEA cases does not apply there.

Can I stage the move through an EU state?

An intermediate step through a member state changes the facts only if it is genuine — that is, if it actually establishes residence and does not serve the tax alone. Arrangements visibly designed only to shift the due date generally do not carry that weight.

What about the main residence?

Residence and habitual abode are governed by the Federal Tax Code and stand side by side as separate connecting factors. Deregistering the main residence alone does not end unlimited tax liability.

This article is general information and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Whether and to what extent exit taxation bites depends on the individual case and belongs with a professional in Austria. As at August 2026; subject to changes in the law.