NoVA Calculator Austria 2026/2027: Car Tax Explained

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Austria's car registration tax (Normverbrauchsabgabe, NoVA) for 2026 is (CO2 value − 91) ÷ 5 percent of the vehicle's net price, capped at 80%. From 1 January 2027 the CO2 deduction drops to 88 g/km, so the same car gets slightly more expensive. Battery-electric cars pay nothing at all.

Our NoVA calculator below gives you the figure for any car in seconds. We also walk through the formula step by step, run real examples and show when the timing of your purchase matters. If you plan to finance the car, our car loan calculator for Austria is the natural second step.

Key takeaways

• 2026 formula: (CO2 in g/km − 91) ÷ 5 = tax rate in percent, rounded to whole percent, capped at 80%
• From 1 January 2027 the deduction drops to 88 g/km; a 132 g/km car at €30,000 net costs about €300 more in tax
• CO2 malus: €80 per gram above 155 g/km, then a fixed €350 deduction from the result
• Electric and hydrogen vehicles (0 g/km) are fully exempt from NoVA
• All calculation values come from the Austrian Ministry of Finance (BMF), as of July 2026

What is the NoVA and when do you pay it?

The NoVA is a one-off tax on cars. It becomes due when a passenger car is registered in Austria for the first time. That covers a new car from an Austrian dealer just as much as a used car you import from Germany.

The flip side matters for expats: if you buy a used car that was already registered in Austria, there is no NoVA left to pay. The tax was settled at first registration.

For new cars the NoVA is usually built into the dealer's sticker price, but it appears as a separate line on the purchase contract. The higher the CO2 emissions, the higher the rate. That is the point of the tax: it deliberately makes high-consumption cars more expensive.

NoVA calculator: get your figure

NoVA Calculator 2026/2027

Calculate the Austrian car registration tax (NoVA) for your car purchase under current law (source: BMF, as of July 2026). This calculator is guidance only and does not replace tax advice.

Year of registration2026 (CO2 deduction 91 g/km)2027 (CO2 deduction 88 g/km)

Net vehicle price in euros (excluding VAT and NoVA)

For new cars: purchase price without 20% VAT. Tip: gross price ÷ 1.2 = net price (if NoVA is not yet included).

CO2 emissions, WLTP combined (g/km)

You find the WLTP value in the registration certificate or data sheet. For plug-in hybrids, the weighted combined WLTP value applies.

Calculate NoVAReset

How our NoVA calculator works

The calculator uses the official BMF formula for passenger cars. You only need two values: the net vehicle price and the combined WLTP CO2 figure. Both appear on the offer, the data sheet or the registration certificate (Zulassungsschein).

For plug-in hybrids the weighted combined WLTP value applies. It usually sits far below a comparable petrol car, so the tax drops accordingly.

Calculating the NoVA: the 2026 and 2027 formula in detail

The calculation has three steps: rate first, then the malus, then a fixed deduction.

Step 1, tax rate: (CO2 value − deduction) ÷ 5, rounded to whole percent. The deduction shrinks by 3 grams every year:

| Period | CO2 deduction | |---|---| | until 31 Dec 2025 | 94 g/km | | 2026 | 91 g/km | | 2027 | 88 g/km | | 2028 | 85 g/km | | 2029 | 82 g/km |

Step 2, CO2 malus: above 155 g/km, add €80 for every gram over the threshold.

Step 3, fixed deduction: subtract €350 from the result. The tax cannot go below zero.

The maximum rate is 80% (source: BMF, NoVA tax rate).

Example: compact SUV at 132 g/km

Sarah, a software engineer who moved to Vienna in 2024, buys a compact SUV in October 2026 for €30,000 net, WLTP value 132 g/km. Her rate: (132 − 91) ÷ 5 = 8.2, rounded to 8%. That means €2,400 base amount, no malus, minus €350: €2,050 NoVA.

If she registered the same car in January 2027 instead, the rate would be (132 − 88) ÷ 5 = 8.8, rounded to 9%. Result: €2,700 − €350 = €2,350. Waiting would cost her €300.

Example: SUV above the malus threshold

A larger SUV at 175 g/km for €45,000 net shows how the malus bites. Rate for 2026: (175 − 91) ÷ 5 = 16.8, rounded to 17%, so €7,650. Add the malus: 20 grams above 155 at €80 each = €1,600. Minus the fixed deduction, the total is €8,900. Nearly a fifth of the purchase price.

What changes from 1 January 2027?

The CO2 deduction falls from 91 to 88 g/km. It sounds minor, but it pushes every car up by as much as one percentage point. According to the Austrian finance portal finfo.at, an identical car pays roughly 0.6 percentage points more from 2027.

In practice: if you plan a combustion-engine car anyway, registering it in 2026 is cheaper. According to finfo.at, purchase contracts signed before 1 December 2026 with delivery by 1 April 2027 should still qualify for the 2026 rate. Get that transition rule confirmed in writing by your dealer or ask the tax office, since an official BMF publication on it was still outstanding when we went to press.

Insurance follows the same timing logic, because premiums also change at the turn of the year. Our car insurance guide for Austria covers what to check for a new car.

Electric cars and the NoVA exemption

Battery-electric and hydrogen cars emit 0 g/km. The formula therefore produces a 0% rate and no NoVA at all. Switching to an EV saves you the entire purchase tax, not just fuel.

One comparison: the SUV above owes €8,900 in tax. An electric car in the same price bracket owes €0. Insurance works slightly differently for EVs too, which is worth checking in our car insurance overview for Austria.

Importing a used car from Germany or the EU

If you import a used car from the EU, NoVA is due the moment the car is first registered in Austria. Two special rules apply (source: oesterreich.gv.at):

1. The tax base is the fair market value (gemeiner Wert) at the time of registration, not the original list price.
2. The law of the year of first registration applies. A BMW first registered in 2020 is taxed under the 2020 rules, not today's.

For older imports, the fixed deduction and the malus are also reduced proportionally. The exact proration is set out in §6a of the NoVA Act; for a specific import we recommend the official BMF calculator or a quick query to the tax office before you sign anything.

Imports can still pay off. Just run the NoVA numbers before the purchase, not after. The tax comes on top of the price and can add several thousand euros on a powerful used car.

NoVA calculator values for motorcycles

Motorcycles follow the same logic with gentler parameters (source: BMF, see above). The CO2 deduction for 2026 is 51 g/km and the maximum rate is 30%. The malus starts at 150 g/km and costs €20 per gram above it.

An example: a motorcycle at 95 g/km gives (95 − 51) ÷ 5 = 8.8, rounded to 9%. On €12,000 net that is €1,080 in tax, with no malus. Electric motorcycles are fully exempt, just like electric cars.

Our calculator above is built for passenger cars. For motorcycles, use the values here by hand or the official BMF calculator.

What you pay on top of the NoVA

The NoVA is only one part of the purchase costs in Austria. Budget for these as well:

• VAT: New cars carry 20% VAT (Umsatzsteuer) on the vehicle price. Dealer gross prices already include it.
• Registration: Registering the car (Anmeldung) typically costs €200 to €350, depending on the office and whether you want a custom plate.
• Engine-related insurance tax: The motorbezogene Versicherungssteuer is collected monthly with your liability premium and depends on power and CO2. Since April 2025 electric cars pay it too.
• Insurance and tyres: Premium and the first set of tyres belong in the same budget as the tax.

Run all four items before you buy and the registration desk holds no surprises. The NoVA stays the biggest variable block, which is exactly why the calculator at the top earns its place.

How to keep your NoVA down

• Check the CO2 value before buying. Even 5 g/km less can cut the rate by a full percentage point, which is €300 on a €30,000 car.
• Question the engine choice. The stronger version of the same model often sits above the 155 g/km threshold, where every gram costs €80.
• Run the numbers on an EV or plug-in hybrid. Zero grams means zero NoVA; hybrids use the lower weighted WLTP figure.
• Use the timing. Registering in 2026 rather than 2027 saves about €300 on a 132 g/km car at €30,000.
• Look at total costs. NoVA, financing, insurance and tyres belong in one calculation, not four separate ones.

If the financing is still open, check conditions before you visit the dealer: check car loan conditions at durchblicker.at (ad). Negotiating with financing already secured puts you in a stronger position on price.

Frequently asked questions about the NoVA calculator

Häufig gestellte Fragen

How do I calculate the NoVA in Austria?

For 2026: (CO2 value in g/km minus 91) divided by 5 gives the tax rate in percent, rounded to whole percent and capped at 80%. Apply that rate to the net price. Above 155 g/km, add 80 euros per gram as a malus, then subtract a fixed 350 euros.

How high is the NoVA in percent?

The rate depends on CO2 emissions. A car at 118 g/km pays about 5% in 2026, one at 132 g/km pays 8%, and an SUV at 175 g/km pays 17%. The legal maximum of 80% only affects extreme sports cars.

How much NoVA do I pay when importing a car from Germany?

For EU imports the tax is calculated on the car's fair market value, under the law that applied in its year of first registration. For older cars the deduction and malus shrink proportionally. Use the official BMF calculator or ask the tax office for your specific case.

Are electric cars exempt from the NoVA?

Yes. Battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles emit 0 g/km and pay no NoVA. Plug-in hybrids are taxed on their weighted combined WLTP value, which is usually much lower than a comparable petrol car's figure.

What changes for the NoVA in 2027?

From 1 January 2027 the CO2 deduction drops from 91 to 88 g/km, pushing the same car up by as much as one percentage point. A car with 132 g/km at 30,000 euros net goes from 2,050 to 2,350 euros in tax.

Do I pay NoVA on a used car bought in Austria?

No. The NoVA is a one-off tax at first registration in Austria. If the car was already registered here, the tax has long been paid. Used cars only trigger NoVA when you import them from abroad.

Is the NoVA included in the purchase price?

At Austrian dealers, yes, and it appears as a separate line on the contract. If you import a car or buy abroad, you must declare and pay the NoVA to the tax office yourself before the car can be registered.

Conclusion: run the NoVA numbers before every purchase

The NoVA is not a footnote. Between roughly €900 for an efficient compact and almost €9,000 for a heavy SUV lies a gap that genuinely changes which car makes sense. The calculator above tests any candidate in seconds, and the 2027 outlook is clear: if you are buying anyway, registering in 2026 is the cheaper path.

Three things to remember: the CO2 value sets your rate, every gram above 155 g/km costs €80, and electric cars pay nothing. Do the maths before the test drive, not after the signature.

Once the car is chosen, sort the financing with our car loan calculator and the cover with our car insurance guide.

Last updated: 26 July 2026. Calculation values per BMF (legal position from 1 July 2025 with the annual values for 2026 to 2029).

Sources

• BMF: NoVA tax rate, legal position from 1 July 2025
• oesterreich.gv.at: Normverbrauchsabgabe (NoVA)
• ÖAMTC: NoVA – Normverbrauchsabgabe
• finfo.at: NoVA – Normverbrauchsabgabe (2027 change, transition rule)