City of Salzburg for Aus

Entertainment tax is history from next year

After nine years: concerts are to be held on Residenzplatz again for the first time in 2025.(Bild: Gerhard Schiel)

After years of wrangling, politicians have decided to end the double tax on art and cultural events in the city of Salzburg. Small and large event organizers alike are happy about the end.

Since 2014, there have been increasing calls for an end to the entertainment tax in the city of Salzburg. The pleas of art and cultural event organizers as well as parts of city politics have now been heard.

I am delighted for the small event organizers. With the end of the entertainment tax, they no longer have to pay a double tax.

Markus Grüner-Musil, Bürgerliste/Grüne

The Green Citizens' List in particular has been campaigning for the abolition of the tax in the cultural sector from the very beginning. The SPÖ was against the abolition for a long time, followed later by the ÖVP. Now all city parties are apparently in agreement. On Monday in the city senate, on Wednesday finally in the municipal council, the end for the entertainment tax will be finally fixed.

Around 350,000 euros flowed into the city budget through the tax last year. However, the administrative costs swallowed up a large part of this, with only 100,000 euros of the tax actually going to the city council.

After nine years: Concerts on Residenzplatz again
The organizer of the concerts on Salzburg's Residenzplatz will also benefit from the end of the tax on 1 January next year. On 9 and 10 May, rock and pop sounds will once again attract 10,000 visitors per evening to the old town - for the first time since 2016.