ORF Contribution Exemption Austria 2026/2027: Who Qualifies

Editorial note: CheckEverything.at is not an official service of ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH (OBS). Exemption applications are made only with the OBS (obs.at). This guide is not legal advice. Last updated: 16 October 2026.

You can only be exempted from the ORF-Beitrag (ORF contribution, the household broadcasting fee) by applying to the OBS (ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH, the collecting agency), and two conditions have to be met together. First, you receive one of the benefits listed in the law, such as long-term care allowance, a pension, unemployment benefit, student grant or social assistance, or you belong to one of the listed groups. Second, your household's net income exceeds the Ausgleichszulagen-Richtsatz (equalisation supplement reference rate) by no more than 12 percent. For 2026 that means €1,465.40 net a month for one person, €2,311.81 for two people and €226.11 more for each additional person. Households that are not exempt pay €15.30 a month per address with a Hauptwohnsitz (main residence); as a rule, the ORF Act does not allow the fee to rise above that until the end of 2029.

Key facts at a glance

• ORF contribution: €15.30 a month per address with a main residence, or €183.60 a year when paid annually in advance
• Additional state levy per month: Burgenland €4.60, Carinthia €4.60, Styria €4.70, Tyrol €3.10, none in the other five states
• Grounds for exemption: long-term care allowance, AMS grants, pensions, unemployment insurance benefits, AMFG grants, student grants, social assistance, apprentices, and deaf and severely hearing-impaired people
• 2026 income limit, net per month: €1,465.40 for one person, €2,311.81 for two, plus €226.11 for each additional person
• The exemption applies from the month following your application, not retroactively, and lasts for five years at most
• Exempt households are entitled to the social electricity tariff, except where the exemption is based on a student grant

Who has to pay the ORF contribution?

The ORF contribution is due for every address in Austria at which at least one person aged 18 or over is registered with a main residence in the Central Register of Residents (§ 3(1) ORF Contribution Act 2024, ORF-BG). If several people have their main residence there, they are jointly liable, but the contribution is paid only once (§ 3(2) ORF-BG). No ORF contribution is charged for a secondary residence.

The contribution is €15.30 a month. The OBS bills it once a year in advance, which comes to €183.60 a year. Payment is due within 14 days of receiving the payment request; if you fall behind, the OBS may add a late-payment surcharge of 10 percent of the outstanding amount (§ 17 ORF-BG). Paying in two or six instalments is only possible by SEPA direct debit. If you already paid in instalments by payment slip with the former GIS, the OBS lets you continue doing so on a transitional basis until the end of 2027.

Four states add a levy of their own, each based on a state law:

Source: OBS contribution table (obs.at/zahlung, German-language page) and state laws in the RIS legal database.

In Burgenland and Carinthia, 30 percent of €15.30 works out at €4.59 (own calculation); both laws round to the nearest ten cents, which gives €4.60. In Tyrol, 20 percent gives €3.06 (own calculation), rounded to €3.10. Styria: as of 16 October 2026, the law sets no end date; reports that the levy will be dropped have not been officially confirmed.

Who can be exempted from the ORF contribution?

Under § 5(1) ORF-BG (in force since 1 January 2026), people who receive one of these benefits or belong to one of these groups are exempted on application:

• No. 1: long-term care allowance under the Federal Long-Term Care Allowance Act (BPGG) at any level, or a comparable benefit
• No. 2: grants under the Public Employment Service Act (AMSG)
• No. 3: pension benefits or comparable recurring maintenance payments
• No. 4: benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Act (AlVG), such as unemployment benefit or emergency assistance
• No. 5: grants under the Labour Market Promotion Act (AMFG)
• No. 6: Studienbeihilfe (student grants) under the Student Support Act (StudFG)
• No. 7: social assistance, benefits from private welfare organisations or other public funds paid because of social need
• No. 8: apprentices under the Vocational Training Act (BAG)
• No. 9: deaf and severely hearing-impaired people

On top of this, your household has to stay within the income limit set out in the next section. Long-term care allowance qualifies at any level; a disability pass on its own is not a ground for exemption.

An exemption granted to you covers everyone who lives with you in the same household (§ 5(6) ORF-BG). According to the OBS, the state levy also falls away along with the ORF contribution, if your state charges one.

Income limit 2026: reference rate plus 12 percent

An exemption is not allowed if the household's net income exceeds the reference rate for the equalisation supplement by more than 12 percent (§ 5(2) ORF-BG). What counts is the most recent income of everyone in the household as recorded in the Transparency Database, meaning income within the meaning of § 2(3) of the Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG). The OBS publishes the limits with this margin already included:

The check is our own calculation, rounded to the cent; it confirms the OBS figures.

According to the OBS, the following do not count as income, among others: family allowance, basic welfare support (Grundversorgung), payments to civilian service members, benefits from the Social Ministry Service, accident annuities, long-term care allowance, and income of carers where it is paid out of the income of other household members.

If your income is above the limit, housing costs are deducted: a flat €500 a month or, if higher, the documented basic rent plus operating costs under the Tenancy Act (MRG), the Non-Profit Housing Act (WGG) or a comparable tenant protection law, minus any rent allowance (§ 5(3) and (4) ORF-BG). This rule is temporary: from 1 January 2028 the new § 5(2a) applies instead. Anyone who does not rent under the MRG, the WGG or a comparable law will then be credited a flat €140 a month for housing; tenants who do can deduct their basic rent and operating costs (Federal Law Gazette I No. 59/2025). Whether lawmakers change the rule again before then is open.

If your income has demonstrably fallen during the year and the Transparency Database does not reflect this yet, you will also be exempted on application (§ 5(5) ORF-BG). For more on the equalisation supplement reference rate and its increase by a factor of 1.033 (Faktor 1,033 in the statute), see our guide to the pension increase.

2027: what is already fixed and what is not

For 2027, the equalisation supplement reference rates, including the increase for children, are multiplied by a factor of 1.033 (§ 823(5) ASVG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 62/2026). The Pension Insurance Institution confirms that the reference rates will rise by 3.3 percent on 1 January 2027. As of 16 October 2026, the OBS exemption limits for 2027 are not yet published; we do not publish a projection of our own.

The contribution itself is capped by law: from 2024 to 2029 the ORF contribution may not exceed €15.30 a month, subject to the provisions that follow in § 31 ORF Act (§ 31(19) no. 2 ORF Act). The Parliamentary Correspondence of 27 March 2025 states that the contribution is frozen until the end of 2029. There is no separate decision on the 2027 contribution; the €15.30 cap applies. The 2027-2028 Budget Accompanying Act (Federal Law Gazette I No. 62/2026) leaves the €15.30 cap unchanged; among other things, it raises the cap in § 31(19) no. 1 ORF Act from 710 to 780 million euros from 1 January 2027.

For the social electricity tariff, the reference value of 6 cents per kWh will be multiplied each year from 1 January 2027 by the adjustment factor under § 108f ASVG (§ 36(4) no. 2 ElWG). As of 16 October 2026, the 2027 value is not yet published. For an overview of the other changes this year, see Everything that changed in Austria in 2026.

Applying at the OBS: step by step

Exemptions are decided by ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH (OBS), a company entrusted with official powers (§ 10(1) ORF-BG). Its official website is obs.at. The former GIS Gebühren Info Service GmbH has been called ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH since 1 January 2024, and its old web address redirects to obs.at. All OBS pages linked here are in German.

1. For a first assessment, the OBS offers an online exemption calculator.
2. The OBS application page has the combined application (Kombi-Antrag) as a fillable PDF.
3. On the form, enter the name and date of birth of everyone who lives with you (§ 15(3) ORF-BG).
4. For each ground, attach a copy of the proof that you receive the benefit, such as the care allowance notice, the pension notice or a bank statement showing the payment, the daily allowance confirmation or the AMS notice, plus proof of income for every household member.
5. Sign the application and send it via the contact form on obs.at, by email to the service address given there, or by post to ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH, Postfach 1000, 1051 Wien.

The combined application covers, in one step, the exemption from the ORF contribution including the entitlement to the social electricity tariff, the telephone charge subsidy and the exemption from renewable energy (EAG) charges. Capping the EAG charges requires a separate application.

The exemption applies from the month following your application and not retroactively. The OBS gives no fixed processing time; it depends on whether your documents are complete. If you have questions, the OBS hotline is 05 0200 800, currently Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm and, from 2 November 2026, Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, except public holidays.

You can appeal against an OBS decision to the Federal Administrative Court. If your exemption decision was issued fully automatically, you can lodge an objection with the OBS within two weeks (§ 12(3) and § 15(10) ORF-BG).

Duration, renewal and duty to notify

The exemption is limited to five years at most (§ 15(6) ORF-BG). Because it is only granted on application, keep an eye on the end date and submit a new application in good time.

If a condition no longer applies, for example because household income rises or a benefit ends, you have to tell the OBS. The exemption is then withdrawn retroactively from the date the condition ceased to apply (§ 15(7) and (8) ORF-BG). Deregistering your main residence ends the exemption, because it only ever applies to the main residence. If you move into a student residence or a care home, the OBS says you are deregistered from the ORF contribution automatically.

Anyone who fails to make a notification under § 9 ORF-BG or makes an incorrect one, or refuses to provide information under § 14 ORF-BG despite a reminder, commits an administrative offence punishable by a fine of up to €2,180 (§ 18(1) ORF-BG). If you failed to make a § 9 notification, no penalty applies when you supply the information truthfully within the deadline the OBS sets on request (§ 18(2) ORF-BG).

Exemption and the social electricity tariff

The social electricity tariff is linked to the ORF exemption. People exempted under § 5(1) nos. 1 to 5 and nos. 7 to 9 ORF-BG are entitled to it (§ 36(2) no. 2 ElWG). If your only ground is a student grant (no. 6), you do not get the social tariff; the OBS also points out that students are excluded. According to the OBS, a valid exemption has carried this entitlement since 1 April 2026: the energy price is capped at 6 cents per kWh for annual consumption of up to 2,900 kWh.

Once you are exempt, the OBS has to inform your electricity supplier without delay (§ 37(1) ElWG). To do so, the OBS needs the Zählpunktnummer (metering point number) of your main residence; without it, the social tariff cannot be activated. So make sure you give the number to the OBS. The 6-cent reference value will be adjusted every year from 1 January 2027 (see above). For details of how the tariff works, read our guide to the social electricity tariff.

Special cases: businesses, business premises, prisons

For businesses, the ORF contribution has been linked to the previous year's municipal tax (Kommunalsteuer) since 2024, regardless of whether any receiving equipment is owned or used. The number of contributions depends on the assessment base (§ 4(3) ORF-BG):

From 1 January 2028, § 4(1) and (2) ORF-BG revert to the version in force before the amendment in Federal Law Gazette I No. 59/2025, so the rules for businesses may change. Businesses that were exempt from municipal tax in the previous year under § 8 no. 2 of the Municipal Tax Act 1993 (KommStG) are also exempt from the business ORF contribution (§ 6 ORF-BG).

Where a business contribution or a business exemption exists for an address, no private contribution is charged there, provided a person registered at that address with a main residence runs the business premises themselves, or the people registered there use accommodation provided by those premises (§ 3(4) ORF-BG). The business has to apply to the OBS for this exception and provide proof. Prison inmates are not liable to pay the contribution (§ 3(6) ORF-BG).

Frequently asked questions about the ORF contribution exemption

Who is exempt from the ORF contribution in 2026?

You are exempted on application if you receive long-term care allowance, AMS grants, a pension or comparable maintenance payment, benefits under the AlVG such as unemployment benefit or emergency assistance, AMFG grants, a student grant or social assistance, if you are an apprentice under the BAG, or if you are deaf or severely hearing-impaired. In addition, the household's net income may exceed the equalisation supplement reference rate by no more than 12 percent: in 2026 that is €1,465.40 for one person, €2,311.81 for two people and €226.11 more for each additional person.

What is the income limit for the ORF exemption?

For 2026 the OBS sets the net monthly limits at €1,465.40 for one person, €2,311.81 for two people and an extra €226.11 for each additional person. These are the 2026 equalisation supplement reference rates of €1,308.39, €2,064.12 and €201.88, each multiplied by 1.12. If income is above the limit, housing costs of a flat €500 a month, or higher documented rent, are deducted.

How do I apply for an exemption from the ORF contribution?

You apply only to ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH at obs.at. The site offers the combined application as a fillable PDF and an online exemption calculator. You list the name and date of birth of every household member and attach proof of your ground for exemption plus proof of income for all household members. You can send it via the contact form, by email or by post.

When does the exemption start and how long does it last?

The exemption applies from the month following your application and not retroactively. It is limited to five years at most. If a condition stops applying earlier, you must tell the OBS, and the exemption is withdrawn retroactively from that date. It ends when you deregister your main residence.

Does the exemption also cover the state levy?

Yes. According to the OBS, exempt households pay neither the ORF contribution nor, where the state charges one, the state levy. A state levy exists in Burgenland and Carinthia at €4.60, in Styria at €4.70 and in Tyrol at €3.10 a month.

What changes for the ORF contribution in 2027?

Under the ORF Act, the contribution may not, as a rule, exceed €15.30 a month until 2029. The equalisation supplement reference rates on which the income limit is based are multiplied by a factor of 1.033 for 2027. As of 16 October 2026, the OBS exemption limits for 2027 are not yet published.

Do I automatically get the social electricity tariff with the ORF exemption?

Not quite automatically. Everyone who is exempt is entitled to it, except people exempted because of a student grant. The OBS has to inform your electricity supplier after the exemption and needs your metering point number to do so; without it, the social tariff cannot be activated.

Do I have to pay the ORF contribution for a second home?

No. According to the OBS, no ORF contribution is charged for secondary residences. The contribution is due for every address at which at least one person aged 18 or over is registered with a main residence. For the same reason, an exemption only ever applies to the main residence.

Conclusion

An exemption from the ORF contribution depends on two conditions: a legal ground for exemption and a household net income that, in 2026, does not exceed €1,465.40 for one person, €2,311.81 for two people and €226.11 more for each additional person. If you are exempt, you pay €183.60 less a year, or €240.00 in Styria including the state levy, and unless the exemption rests on a student grant you are also entitled to the social electricity tariff. Because the exemption only applies from the following month, it pays to apply to the OBS promptly and with complete documents. The 2027 exemption limits are not yet published; we will add them as soon as the OBS announces them.

Last updated: 16 October 2026. Legal basis: §§ 3 to 6, 15 and 18 ORF Contribution Act 2024, § 31(19) ORF Act, §§ 36 and 37 ElWG, Federal Law Gazette I No. 59/2025, Federal Law Gazette I No. 62/2026.

Sources

• RIS: ORF Contribution Act 2024 (ORF-BG), current version (German)
• RIS: ORF Act, current version, § 31 (German)
• RIS: Federal Law Gazette I No. 59/2025, ORF-BG amendment (German)
• RIS: Federal Law Gazette I No. 62/2026, 2027-2028 Budget Accompanying Act (German)
• RIS: Federal Law Gazette I No. 91/2025, ElWG §§ 36 and 37 (German)
• RIS: Styrian Culture and Sports Funding Levy Act (StKSAG, German)
• RIS: Burgenland Cultural Funding Contribution Act 2024 (German)
• RIS: Carinthian Music School Funding Contribution Act 2024 (K-LMFG, German)
• RIS: Tyrolean Cultural Funding Levy Act 2006 (German)
• obs.at: payment and contribution by state (German)
• obs.at: exemption (German)
• obs.at: income and exemption limits (German)
• obs.at: entitlement and proof (German)
• obs.at: application (German)
• obs.at: review of applications (German)
• obs.at: questions about the exemption (German)
• obs.at: data and residence (German)
• obs.at: businesses (German)
• obs.at: home page and hotline (German)
• oesterreich.gv.at: equalisation supplement, 2026 reference rates (German)
• Pension Insurance Institution: pension adjustment and pension increase (German)
• Parliamentary Correspondence No. 203 of 27 March 2025 (German)