InterGest has been represented in Austria since 1996, but it was not until 2012 that two women properly established InterGest Austria, based in Vienna. Mag. Elisabeth Heller took over the business at that time. The tax and business consultant brought with her many years of experience in international tax law and a global network of national and international experts. She also took Dr. Anne Fraydenegg on board as second managing partner. With concentrated female power, they quickly developed InterGest Austria into a recognized business partner for international clients who want to successfully offer their products and services in Austria.
In 2015, Natalie Thon, BA pth, MBA succeeded Dr. Anne Fraydenegg on the management board. The daughter of Elisabeth Heller was involved from the very beginning: "I can still remember our first InterGest partner meeting in Madrid in 2013. I liked the mix of professionalism and family team spirit. That's when I realized that I see my future within InterGest."
The Austrian market has its own laws and peculiarities
As a marketing and business development expert, Natalie Thon supports clients in exploring the Austrian market. And it has its own laws and cultural differences in business life. "Anyone who wants to do meetings after 2 p.m. on Fridays in Austria will be disappointed," Natalie Thon smiles. "The weekend is sacred to us. From the Austrian point of view, there is nothing important enough that can't wait until Monday morning.”
There are also other peculiarities to consider, as Elisabeth Heller points out: "Your car must be registered in Austria if you want to use it here for longer than just during a vacation. In addition, there is the standard consumption tax “NoVA”, a one-time tax to be paid when you buy or register a car or motorcycle for the first time. It is important to know that only Austrian contracts are valid here. The structures in Austria bring along a specific, administrative effort. It is therefore worthwhile to rely on our expertise in the run-up to setting up a company in Austria in order to avoid typical mistakes."
Austria: hub for Eastern European markets
InterGest Austria is based in Vienna. In spring 2020, the team moved from Vienna's city center to a larger office in the so-called French Quarter, Natalie Thon reports, "We are ideally located here. After all, the Austrian capital is the gateway to eastern European countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Vienna Airport is a hub for many neighboring countries. Due to the United Nations office in Vienna, many diplomats are on site here. Not only because of this, English is of course an important business language, although the German language is an interesting aspect for many German companies to establish a company on the Austrian market. For example, we serve many medium-sized companies and hidden champions from Germany. They come from very different industries. We provide our clients with the complete InterGest package for setting up a subsidiary in Austria - from payroll, business process outsourcing, accounting, ongoing tax and legal advice to the day-to-day execution of fiduciary administrative tasks, reporting and controlling. We keep our finger on the pulse: topics such as cryptocurrencies and their tax considerations are just one new added value for our clients."
InterGest's success in Austria is a typical InterGest story: a family business with a lot of competence and motivation, with mother and daughter covering different business areas while not getting in each other's way. So when will the tenth anniversary be duly celebrated? "Due to the pandemic, we haven't even gotten around to thinking about celebrating yet," regrets Natalie Thon. "Perhaps we will join the celebrations for 50 years of InterGest. One thing is for sure though: We really enjoy being part of the InterGest family, and we want to stay that way for many more years to come."
Contact Elisabeth Heller and Natalie Thon. InterGest Austria offers comprehensive comfort services for your success abroad! More information at:
www.intergest.com/en/austria/
