Entrepreneur fumes

“ORF fee rip-off is a massive nuisance!”

Entrepreneur Markus Moll is annoyed that he has to pay ORF contributions for his two businesses, even though they do not use ORF services.(Bild: zVg, APA, KroneKREATIV)

Markus Moll, head of two internationally successful companies based in Reutte (Tyrol), describes how the ORF fee horror is affecting his company - and what it means for Austria as a business location. 

Reutten entrepreneur Markus Moll can only shake his head at the fact that he has to pay an ORF contribution of almost 500 euros for his company.

"We are a globally active company and have 20 employees from seven different countries in Reutte. Nobody here watches TV for even one minute a month, and certainly not ORF programs. Nevertheless, as an entrepreneur, I am asked to pay," says Moll, who runs a consultancy firm in the stainless steel industry.

That's absurd! You are being penalized for paying your well-trained international specialists a good wage.

Unternehmer Markus Moll

ORF fee after municipal tax
How much a company has to pay in ORF fees depends - as has been reported several times - on the total wages paid to employees in the previous year. "The more they earn, the more the employer has to pay, as the ORF fee is calculated on the basis of municipal tax. That is absurd! You are being penalized if you pay your well-trained international specialists a good wage. Of course, everyone can see that this has a negative impact on Tyrol as a business location," emphasizes Moll.

Many people are very angry about the ORF fees.(Bild: APA/Herbert Neubauer)

For him, it's a matter of principle: "As an entrepreneur, I can't see why I should pay for something for which there is no return. It doesn't really matter whether it's 5, 500 or 5000 euros. Not to mention the bureaucratic effort involved."

Tyrolean NEOS leader announces further initiatives
Back in May 2023, the Tyrolean NEOS pointed out in a state parliament session that the ORF state tax would cause massive problems for the economy: "It could have simply been fixed back then. It is unacceptable for entrepreneurs to be additionally penalized if they have high wage costs because they create many jobs and pay people a decent wage," said NEOS parliamentary group leader Dominik Oberhofer.

Businesspeople have better things to do than check whether the amount of the tax is correct and appeal against incorrect assessments.

Dominik Oberhofer, Klubobmann der NEOS im Tiroler Landtag

The NEOS were the only ones to launch an initiative. "What is happening now is madness. We receive many letters from frustrated people who don't understand that they should pay for something they don't consume," Oberhofer continues.

Entrepreneurs are also annoyed by the bureaucratic effort involved. Oberhofer announces further initiatives in the state parliament, "even if we remain on our own!"