Financial police punish

Uproar over ruling: Are club helpers threatened with the end?

A raid by the financial police has consequences - for the entire association system.(Bild: P. Huber)

Thousands of clubs in Austria live from volunteers who organize parties, stand at the bar, clean up and usually receive food and drink in return. Is this "remuneration"? Do they have to be registered with social insurance? A ruling from Carinthia shows where the pitfalls in the law and the boundaries to business lie.

When is an association an association? When is it a non-profit organization? And does this even play a role in the assessment of tax and social security obligations? Following a financial penalty for undeclared helpers, a Carinthian association has set a ball rolling at the regional administrative court that could now have an impact on all associations in Austria!