# Best Brokers in Austria (2026) > €0 to €85 a year for a €200 ETF plan: flatex, DADAT, Erste and Trade Republic compared on KESt withholding, order cost and investor cover. Updated: October 12 2026 · By Jules de Bruin · URL: https://www.how-to-austria.com/banking/brokers Pick a **steuereinfach** broker and Austria's **27.5% KESt** is withheld for you, with no E1kv. **flatex** leads on **€0 custody** and **700+ free ETF savings plans**. **DADAT** is the Austrian bank pick, with **100% investor cover to €20,000** and plans from **€10**. Our calculation puts a **€200-a-month** ETF plan at **€0 to €85 a year**, depending on the broker. Steuereinfach brokers need a **Meldezettel** and Austrian tax details. **Trade Republic** has an English app, **€1 orders** and free savings plans, and withholds KESt on securities since **24 April 2025**, though not the **25%** on cash interest. **Interactive Brokers** opens without a Meldezettel, but every tax figure is yours to file, often at **€200 to €500** a year for an adviser. Rank by Our overall pick below is flatex, from €0 custody and €5.90 per order. flatexDEGIRO Bank, Graz branch ### flatex Depot 4.6 Best Overall. Fully steuereinfach since launch, with €0 custody and account fees and more than 700 ETF savings plans at €0 per execution. - Eligibility: Austrian address, video ident - Fees: **€0** custody, no dividend fee - Protection: German scheme, **90%** to **€20,000** - Support: German only, dated app [Open a flatex depot](https://www.flatex.at) Not for you if: You buy mostly US shares: the roughly 0.4% currency margin costs about €40 on every €10,000 converted, and it never shows as a fee line. All packages (3) - Vienna order €5.90 Any size / per order · plus 0.04% exchange fee, min €1.80 - Xetra order €7.88 German shares and ETFs / per order · includes the €1.98 Xetra fee - ETF savings plan €0 700+ selected ETFs / per execution · other ETFs €1.50 Prices checked on flatex.at, 12 October 2026. Free ETFs, no tax gaps 700+ at €0 More details - Custody fee: €0 - Steuereinfach: Yes, since launch - Currency margin: About 0.4% on USD (August 2026) - Savings plan minimum: €25 (August 2026) - Investor compensation: German scheme, 90% to €20,000 - Languages: German, partly English Best for Buy-and-hold residents who want KESt withheld and no fixed costs Schelhammer Capital Bank AG ### DADAT Depot 4.5 Best Austrian Bank. An Austrian-licensed bank with full investor cover, a €10 savings-plan minimum and refunds of up to €250 on incoming transfers. - Eligibility: Fee-free U25 depot - Fees: **€10** a year account fee - Protection: Austrian scheme, **100%** to **€20,000** - Support: Phone line in Salzburg [Open a DADAT depot](https://www.dad.at) Not for you if: You want an exotic ETF in a savings plan: the savings-plan list is curated, about 314 ETFs in August 2026, and savings-plan and bulk-buy positions are booked separately. All packages (3) - Vienna order €3.90 Any size / per order · plus 0.10% and 0.03% exchange fee - gettex order €3.50 Up to €2,500 / per order · €5.50 up to €5,000 - ETF savings plan €0 Selected ETFs / per execution · others €0.75 + 0.175% Prices per DADAT's fee schedule, October 2026. Incoming transfer refund Up to €250 More details - Custody fee: €0 new, existing from 1 Jan 2027 - Steuereinfach: Yes - Settlement account: €2.50 a quarter; DADAT's site waives it to end 2030 for new customers - Savings plan minimum: €10 - U25 depot: No custody or account fee, gettex €1 - New-customer offer: €1 Vienna base fee for 6 months, orders to €25,000 - Investor compensation: Austrian scheme, 100% to €20,000 Best for Savers who want an Austrian bank and start with small monthly amounts ### Erste Bank Selfinvest Depot 4.2 The only big branch bank at a neobroker price: no custody fee up to €50,000 since May 2026, run inside the George app. - Eligibility: s Young depot up to age 30 - Fees: **0.216%** above **€50,000** - Protection: Austrian scheme, **100%** to **€20,000** - Support: Branches plus George app [Open an Erste Selfinvest depot](https://www.sparkasse.at/erstebank) Not for you if: A branch adviser books you into s Depot or s Active: those cost 0.432% and 1.152% a year, which is €576 on a €50,000 portfolio for s Active. All packages (3) - Selfinvest custody €0 Up to €50,000 / per year · then 0.216% a year - Vienna order €3.99 + 0.19% Any size / per order · plus third-party fees, unverified - ETF savings plan €1 About 200 ETFs / per execution · from €10 a month Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Branch backup Sparkasse branches and George More details - Custody fee: €0 to €50,000, then 0.216% - Steuereinfach: Yes - Advised models: s Depot 0.432%, s Active 1.152% a year - Currency commission: Minimum €13.89 (test portal, unverified) - Transfer out: About €36 per position (portal figure, unverified) - Investor compensation: Austrian scheme, 100% to €20,000 Best for Erste and Sparkasse customers who want one app and a branch to walk into ### Trade Republic 4.0 Cheapest Steuereinfach. The cheapest steuereinfach broker on paper: €1 per order and free ETF savings plans from €1, in an English-language app. - Eligibility: English app, opens in minutes - Fees: **€1** orders, **€0** savings plans - Protection: German scheme, **90%** to **€20,000** - Support: Lowest-rated in user reviews [Open a Trade Republic account](https://traderepublic.com/de-at) Not for you if: You keep a large cash balance: the 25% KESt on interest is not withheld, so you file an E1kv every year anyway, and incoming depot transfers are not possible. All packages (3) - Share or ETF order €1 Any size / per order · plus spreads - ETF savings plan €0 2,500+ ETFs / per execution · from €1 a month - Cash interest 2.50% Uncapped balance / a year · since 16 September 2026, variable Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Free savings-plan ETFs 2,500+ from €1 More details - Steuereinfach: Securities yes, interest no - Custody fee: €0 - Incoming transfer: Not possible (August 2026) - Outgoing transfer: Free, but acquisition costs are not passed on - Investor compensation: German scheme, 90% to €20,000 - Support: 24/7 phone and chat since April 2026 - Outage: About 1 hour login failure, 18 March 2026 Best for Newcomers who want an English app and invest small monthly amounts ### Bitpanda 3.9 The only Austrian app that withholds KESt on crypto and, since 29 January 2026, on real shares and ETFs as well. - Eligibility: German and English, video ident - Fees: Crypto spread up to **2.49%** - Protection: No cover on crypto - Support: Slow during verification [Open a Bitpanda account](https://www.bitpanda.com/de) Not for you if: You trade altcoins often: a spread of up to 2.49% is about €249 on every €10,000 traded, which dwarfs the €1 share fee. All packages (3) - Share or ETF trade €1 Real securities / per trade · since January 2026 - Savings plan €0 Curated ETFs and crypto / per execution · from €1 - Bitcoin trade About 0.99% Crypto / spread per trade · altcoins up to 2.49% Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Crypto with KESt withheld Since 1 January 2024 More details - Custody fee: €0 - Steuereinfach: Yes, crypto and securities - Legacy Bitpanda Stocks: Derivatives, sell-only, taxed at income-tax rates up to 55% - Crypto protection: No deposit or investor compensation - Languages: German and English Best for Investors who hold crypto and ETFs and want no tax filing for either ### Scalable Capital 3.7 The flat-rate option for frequent traders: Prime+ at €4.99 a month makes orders from €250 free, but plan for an E1kv. - Eligibility: English app, video ident - Fees: **€0** plans, flat-rate orders - Protection: German scheme, **90%** to **€20,000** - Support: Tax filing left to you [Open a Scalable account](https://de.scalable.capital) Not for you if: You want KESt withheld: until Scalable confirms Austrian withholding, every dividend, gain and deemed distribution goes on your own E1kv. All packages (3) - Free Broker order €0.99 gettex / per order · Xetra €3.99 + 0.01% - Prime+ €4.99 Orders from €250 / per month · no order fee - ETF savings plan €0 1,920+ ETFs / per execution · from €1 Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Flat-rate trading Prime+ €4.99/month More details - Steuereinfach: Not confirmed, plan an E1kv - Custody fee: €0 - Vienna exchange: Not offered - Investor compensation: German scheme, 90% to €20,000 - Tax report: German report plus a filing guide Best for Frequent traders who accept a yearly E1kv ### Interactive Brokers 3.6 Access to 150 markets with near-interbank currency conversion, for investors who accept filing every figure on the E1kv themselves. - Eligibility: Opens without a Meldezettel - Fees: Interbank FX, low US orders - Protection: Irish scheme, **90%** to **€20,000** - Support: English tickets, no AT tax report [Open an Interactive Brokers account](https://www.interactivebrokers.com) Not for you if: You want a quiet tax year: the deemed distributions of accumulating ETFs come from the OeKB database, not the broker statement, and missing them is the most common filing error. All packages (3) - US share order From about $1 Per order / per order · tiered by volume - Currency conversion From $2 Near interbank rate / per conversion · minimum commission - Custody €0 Any size / per year · no inactivity fee in the grid Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site. Markets 150 exchanges More details - Steuereinfach: No, full E1kv - Custody fee: €0 - Investor compensation: Irish scheme, 90% to €20,000 - Tax reports: Not in Austrian format - Tax adviser: Typically €200 to €500 a year Best for Experienced investors who need options, US markets or margin The order is set by one question first: does the broker withhold Austrian tax? The top three, **flatex**, **DADAT** and **Erste Selfinvest**, are fully **steuereinfach**, so dividends, gains and the yearly deemed distributions of accumulating ETFs are taxed at source. **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** is cheaper on every fee but has a gap on cash interest and a reported error history in **2025**, so it ranks fourth. **Scalable Capital** and **Interactive Brokers** rank last for an Austrian resident, not because they are expensive but because the tax work is yours. For the fund-house side of investing, active funds, KAGs and the **Zukunftsvorsorge**, see our [asset managers guide](/banking/asset-managers); for what users say about each broker, see the [broker user-review comparison](/banking/broker-comparison). ## Which Brokers Are Steuereinfach in Austria? Austrian tax handling by broker, as of August to October 2026. Sources: provider tax FAQs and price lists, OeKB, BMF. | Broker | KESt on securities | KESt on cash interest | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | flatex | Withheld, 27.5% | No interest paid | German, Graz branch | | DADAT, Erste, easybank, [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at), [Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at), bank99 | Withheld, 27.5% | Withheld, 25% | Austrian | | Bitpanda | Withheld on crypto since 2024, securities since 29 January 2026 | No interest paid | Austrian, MiCA | | [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) | Withheld since 24 April 2025 | **Not withheld**, E1kv | German, Austrian branch | | Scalable Capital | Not confirmed (August 2026) | Not withheld, E1kv | German | | Interactive Brokers, eToro, Freedom24 | **Not withheld**, E1kv | Not withheld, E1kv | Irish, Cypriot | A broker is **steuereinfach** when it withholds Austrian **KESt** and offsets your losses inside the same depot. The rates are set by [§ 27a Abs. 1 EStG](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10004570): **25%** on bank interest (Z 1) and **27.5%** on everything else, including dividends, realised gains and fund income (Z 2). With a steuereinfach broker the tax is final and needs no return. Without it, you report each figure on the **E1kv** annex, by **30 June** of the following year if you file online. The hard part is accumulating ETFs: their yearly **deemed distributions** come from the [OeKB reporting-fund database](https://my.oekb.at/kapitalmarkt-services), not from the broker statement, and the cost basis must be raised by the same amount. A fund that does not report to the **OeKB** is taxed on **90% of its yearly gain, at least 10% of its value**, even if you sell nothing. [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) is the case that trips people up. It became steuereinfach on **24 April 2025**, so advice to file everything yourself is out of date for securities. Its Austrian tax FAQ, read in **August 2026**, says the **25%** on cash interest is not withheld. At **2.50%** interest on **€10,000**, that is **€250** of income and **€62.50** of KESt you declare yourself each year. ## What Does an Order Cost at Each Broker? | Broker and tariff | €500 order | €2,000 order | €5,000 order | Steuereinfach | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Trade Republic, €1 per order | €1 | €1 | €1 | Securities yes, interest no | | Bitpanda, €1 per share or ETF trade | €1 | €1 | €1 | Yes | | Scalable Capital, Free Broker, gettex €0.99 | **€0.99** | **€0.99** | **€0.99** | Not confirmed, plan an E1kv | | DADAT, gettex flat fee | €3.50 | €3.50 | €5.50 | Yes | | easybank, Vienna, fixed tiers | €4.95 | €4.95 | €9.95 | Yes | | DADAT, Vienna, €3.90 + 0.10% + exchange fee | €6.20 | €7.70 | €10.70 | Yes | | flatex, Vienna, €5.90 + exchange fee | €7.70 | €7.70 | €7.90 | Yes | | Erste Selfinvest, Vienna, €3.99 + 0.19% (unverified) | €4.94 | €7.79 | €13.49 | Yes | | Interactive Brokers, Vienna, tiered | Not published | Not published | Not published | No, E1kv | Own calculation, 12 October 2026. Cost of one buy order including the exchange fee the broker itself lists: flatex Vienna €5.90 plus 0.04% (minimum €1.80) per flatex.at, DADAT Vienna €3.90 plus 0.10% plus a 0.03% exchange fee (minimum €1.80) and DADAT gettex per its October 2026 fee schedule. Other figures come from the providers' price lists as captured in August 2026. Not included: spreads, currency margins and new-customer offers. The Erste figure comes from a test portal and is not confirmed on the bank's own sheet. Bold: cheapest in the column. On a single order the neobrokers win at every size: **Scalable** at **€0.99**, **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** and **Bitpanda** at **€1**. Among fully steuereinfach brokers the cheapest route is **DADAT on gettex**, at **€3.50** up to **€2,500** and **€5.50** up to **€5,000**, a flat fee DADAT introduced on **1 July 2026**. On the **Vienna exchange**, once each broker's own exchange fee is included, **DADAT** and **flatex** cost exactly the same at **€2,000**: **€7.70** each. Below that, DADAT is cheaper; above it, flatex is, and at **€5,000** the gap is **€2.80** per order. Our [asset managers guide](/banking/asset-managers#broker-pairs) quotes the commissions alone; this table adds the exchange fees, which is why the flatex figures here are **€1.80** or more higher. For frequent traders the flat rate decides it. **Scalable Prime+** at **€4.99 a month** beats Free Broker from the **sixth order** of **€250** or more in a month, since five orders at **€0.99** cost **€4.95**. That saving only holds if you also budget for the **E1kv**, because Scalable's Austrian withholding is unconfirmed. ## How Much Does a €200-a-Month ETF Savings Plan Cost per Year? | Broker | ETF on the free list | Any other ETF | Steuereinfach | How it adds up | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Trade Republic | **€0** | **€0** | Securities yes, interest no | €0 per execution, no account fee | | Scalable Capital | **€0** | **€0** | Not confirmed, plan an E1kv | €0 per execution on 1,920+ ETFs | | Bitpanda | **€0** | Free list only | Yes | €0 per execution, curated ETF list only | | flatex | **€0** | €18 | Yes | €0 on 700+ selected ETFs, otherwise €1.50 per execution | | DADAT | €10 | €23.20 | Yes | €0.75 + 0.175% per execution, plus €10 a year settlement account | | Erste Selfinvest | No free list | €12 | Yes | €1 per execution, no custody fee below €50,000 | | bank99 | No free list | €23.76 | Yes | 0.99% of each instalment | | easybank | No free list | €48 | Yes | €1.25 per execution, €18 account, €15 minimum custody fee (standard terms; the €0 promotion closed to new applications on 30 September 2026) | | Bank Austria (unverified) | €84.82 | Free list only | Yes | €0 execution on a small list, €53.28 account, €31.54 minimum custody fee | Own calculation, 12 October 2026. A savings plan of €200 a month, 12 executions in one year, portfolio below €50,000. Total = execution fees plus fixed account and custody fees. Not included: fund costs (TER), spreads, the tax itself and new-customer offers. DADAT per its October 2026 fee schedule, flatex per flatex.at, other figures per the providers' price lists of August 2026. The Bank Austria figures come from a test portal and are not confirmed on the bank's own sheet. A **€200-a-month** ETF plan costs **€0** a year at **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)**, **Scalable** and **Bitpanda**, and at **flatex** if your ETF is on its free list. A fully Austrian bank costs **€10** (DADAT, free list) to **€48** (easybank on standard terms), and **[Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at)** about **€85** in fixed fees alone. The tax line changes the ranking. At a non-steuereinfach broker, an accumulating ETF needs an **E1kv** entry every year. Austrian tax practices quote typically **€200 to €500** a year to prepare it. On that basis the true yearly cost of a **€0** plan at **Scalable** or **Interactive Brokers** is higher than the **€23.20** DADAT charges for any ETF outside its free list. Two dated changes matter here. **easybank** accepted applications for its **€0** depot and account promotion until **30 September 2026**; new customers now see the standard **0.12%**, minimum **€15** per depot. **DADAT** ends custody fees for existing customers on **1 January 2027**, and its website waives the **€10** account fee for new customers until the end of **2030**. ## Which Hidden Broker Fees Do Price Lists Bury? Fees outside the headline order price, with a worked example. Provider price lists, August to October 2026; portal figures marked unverified. | Fee | Broker and figure | What it costs you | | --- | --- | --- | | Currency margin | flatex, about 0.4% on USD | About €40 per €10,000 of US shares, each way | | Minimum FX commission | Erste, €13.89 (unverified) | A $20 US dividend can net close to nothing | | USD account conversion | eToro, 50 to 150 pips | About 0.4% by transfer, 1.5% by card | | Inactivity | eToro, $10 a month | $120 a year after 12 months without a login | | Crypto spread | Bitpanda, 0.99% to 2.49% | Up to about €249 per €10,000 traded | | Settlement account | DADAT €10, easybank €18, [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at) €53.28 a year ([Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at) unverified) | Charged even in a year with no trades | | Transfer out | €15.72 to €48 per position (portal figures, unverified) | €180 to €576 for a 12-position depot | | Transfer in | Steiermärkische Sparkasse, €13.99 per depot | Unusual: most brokers charge nothing to receive | The headline order price is rarely what a portfolio costs. The two fees that move the total most are **currency conversion** and the **transfer-out fee**. A buyer of US shares at **flatex** pays about **0.4%** on each conversion, and it appears in the exchange rate, not on the contract note. Transfer fees bite when you leave. Austrian law lets the outgoing bank charge per position, so a **12-position** depot can cost **€180** or more to move. **DADAT** refunds up to **€250** of incoming costs for positions worth at least **€2,000**, per its website in October 2026. Fractional shares cannot be transferred anywhere and must be sold first, which is a taxable sale. ## Which Broker Wins for Which Investor? Our picks per situation, from the cost tables above and the tax status of each broker, October 2026. | Situation | Winner | Runner-up | Why the winner wins | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Student, €25 a month | DADAT | [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) | €10 minimum, fee-free U25 depot, Austrian 100% cover | | Newcomer, English, €100 a month | [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) | flatex | English app, €0 plans; flatex is German-only | | €50,000 buy and hold | flatex | DADAT | €0 fixed costs and the larger free-ETF list | | Wants a branch and one app | Erste Selfinvest | DADAT | €0 custody to €50,000 inside George | | 10 orders a month | flatex | Scalable Prime+ | Steuereinfach at a flat €5.90; Prime+ adds an E1kv | | Crypto plus ETFs, no filing | Bitpanda | None comparable | KESt withheld on both | | US options and margin | Interactive Brokers | None comparable | 150 markets, accepts a full E1kv | No broker wins every situation, and the cheapest one wins fewest of them. The deciding question is usually not the fee but the **tax status** and the **language**. A student starting at **€25** a month gains more from DADAT's **€10** minimum and Austrian cover than from the **€1** [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) would save. For a **€50,000** portfolio the custody fee decides. It is **€0** at flatex and DADAT, and about **€300** a year at [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at) on its foreign-securities rate of **0.60%**, a test-portal figure not confirmed on the bank's sheet. Erste Selfinvest stays free up to exactly **€50,000**, then charges **0.216%** a year. ## What Went Wrong at Austrian Brokers, and What Do You Do? Incidents and changes with a consequence for customers, 2025 to 2026, and the action that follows. Sources: provider notices, Wirtschaftswoche (18 March 2026), DADAT fee schedule October 2026. | Date | Broker and event | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | 2025 | [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com): missing KESt deductions and flawed tax reports after the switch | Check the annual report line by line; correct gaps on the E1kv | | September 2025 | Scalable Capital: own German banking licence, Austrian withholding still unconfirmed | Keep filing the E1kv until Scalable confirms in writing | | 29 January 2026 | Bitpanda: real shares and ETFs; old Stocks derivatives become sell-only | Gains on the old derivatives are taxed at income-tax rates up to 55% | | 18 March 2026 | [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com): login outage of about 1 hour at a volatile open | Screenshot, written complaint, then BaFin if rejected | | 1 July 2026 | DADAT: gettex flat fee of €3.50 to €10.50 by order size | Below €2,500 gettex now beats DADAT's Vienna route | | 30 September 2026 | easybank: last day to apply for the €0 depot promotion | New customers compare on standard terms | | 1 January 2027 | DADAT: custody fee ends for existing customers | No reason to move a DADAT depot on custody cost | The pattern across **2025** and **2026**: the cheapest broker carried the most tax and service risk. **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** produced reported KESt errors in its first Austrian year, and the tax risk stays with you, not the broker. Its outage on **18 March 2026** lasted about **one hour**, at the moment volatile markets opened. If an app failure costs you money, document it at once with timestamps and complain to the broker in writing. The supervisor depends on the licence: [the FMA](https://www.fma.gv.at/kontakt/beschwerden/) for **DADAT**, **Erste** and other Austrian banks, and the German [BaFin](https://www.bafin.de/DE/Verbraucher/BeschwerdenAnsprechpartner/beschwerden_node.html) for **flatex**, **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** and **Scalable**. Leaving **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** carries a tax trap rather than a fee. Outgoing transfers are free, but they do not pass on your acquisition costs. The receiving bank then applies the fallback in [§ 93 Abs. 4 EStG](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10004570): the value at deposit minus **0.5%** per month held, at least half that value. On a later sale it withholds too much KESt until you prove what you paid. ### What residents report - ○ **Trade Republic KESt report**: Users confirmed that Trade Republic has withheld Austrian KESt since about late April 2025, which makes older advice to file everything yourself out of date, but warned that the annual tax report has occasionally been wrong and should be checked. ([r/FinanzenAT](https://www.reddit.com/r/FinanzenAT/comments/1l9nn0e/), 2025) Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey. ## What Protects Your Depot If a Broker Fails? Protection by layer and licence country, October 2026. Sources: ESAEG (RIS), FMA, Entschädigungseinrichtung der Wertpapierhandelsunternehmen (EdW). | Layer | Austrian licence | German, Irish or Cypriot licence | | --- | --- | --- | | Your securities | Segregated, not part of the bankruptcy estate | Segregated, not part of the bankruptcy estate | | Investor compensation | 100% up to €20,000 | 90% up to €20,000 | | Cash on the settlement account | €100,000 deposit guarantee | €100,000 per bank, home-country scheme | | Crypto | No compensation scheme | No compensation scheme | Your shares and ETFs are **segregated assets**: if the broker goes bust, they are handed back, not shared out among creditors. Investor compensation only pays when securities cannot be returned, for example after fraud. Under [§ 46 Abs. 1 ESAEG](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20009251), the Austrian scheme pays up to **€20,000** per investor, in full for private customers, as of **October 2026**. The German scheme behind **flatex**, **[Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)** and **Scalable** pays **90%** up to **€20,000**, so the worst case leaves a **€2,000** gap. The **FMA** supervises Austrian brokers and explains the schemes on its [securities supervision page](https://www.fma.gv.at/wertpapier/). Cash is a separate layer, covered to **€100,000** per bank. Crypto has neither layer. **Bitpanda** holds coins in trust with a right of separation, which keeps them out of an insolvency, but no scheme pays if they are lost. Before you buy a fund at any broker, check its ISIN in the [OeKB database](https://my.oekb.at/kapitalmarkt-services) to confirm it is a reporting fund. ## What Do You Need to Open a Depot in Austria? You need to be **18**, hold a passport or ID card, and for a steuereinfach broker an **Austrian address** (the **Meldezettel**) and your tax details. There is **no income minimum** and no KSV1870 credit check for a cash depot. Online brokers verify you by **video ident** in minutes; branch banks take a few days. The address requirement is not a formality. A steuereinfach broker withholds and reports for the **Finanzamt**, so it needs an Austrian tax residence. **Interactive Brokers** and **eToro** open without one, but then the whole tax return is yours. If you have just arrived, register first; see our [Meldezettel guide](/living/vienna-registration). For children, branch banks such as **Erste** and **[Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at)** offer junior depots opened by a parent; the neobrokers do not, as of **August 2026**. US citizens and green-card holders face extra **FATCA** paperwork and are refused by some brokers. Arriving with a foreign depot? Since **1 July 2026**, moving it into Austria must be reported to the **Finanzamt** within **one month**. ## Related Guides [Broker User Reviews: What Austrian investors praise and criticise at each broker.](/banking/broker-comparison) [Asset Managers: Fund houses, fund taxation and the Zukunftsvorsorge.](/banking/asset-managers) [Savings Accounts: Where to park money you need within five years.](/banking/savings-accounts) [Crypto Exchanges: Crypto platforms, KESt on crypto and DAC8 reporting.](/banking/crypto-exchanges) [Alternative Investments in Austria: Physical gold sold after one year is tax-free, while a gold ETC pays 27.5%.](/banking/alternative-investments) > What's your situation? Jump straight to the answer. [Want KESt withheld: flatex €0 custody → Steuereinfach, 700+ free ETF plans.](#broker-flatex) [Starting small: DADAT from €10 → Austrian bank, 100% investor cover.](#broker-dadat) [Branch bank customer: Erste Selfinvest €0 → Free custody up to €50,000.](#broker-erste) [Global markets: Interactive Brokers → 150 markets, but you file the tax.](#broker-ibkr) All 11 sections Getting Started - [1. Top brokers](#ranking) - [2. Steuereinfach](#steuereinfach) Costs - [3. Order cost](#order-costs) - [4. Savings plan cost](#savings-plan-cost) - [5. Hidden fees](#hidden-costs) Decide - [6. Who wins](#who-wins) Risks - [7. What went wrong](#what-went-wrong) - [8. Investor protection](#protection) - [9. Open a depot](#open-account) Help - [10. Frequently asked questions](#faq) - [11. Related guides](#related-guides) Ask the author ## Have a question this guide did not answer? Send it to Jules. Questions shape what gets written next, and the most common ones become new sections on this page. Goes straight to Jules by email. No newsletter, no spam. Replies are best effort within a few days. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which brokers are steuereinfach in Austria? As of October 2026, flatex, DADAT, [Erste Bank](https://www.sparkasse.at), easybank, [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at), [Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at), bank99 and Bitpanda withhold the 27.5% KESt on securities and handle the loss offset for you. [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) has withheld KESt on securities since 24 April 2025 but not the 25% KESt on cash interest. Interactive Brokers, eToro and Freedom24 withhold nothing. Scalable Capital's Austrian withholding was not confirmed in August 2026, so plan for an E1kv. ### Do I have to declare Trade Republic interest on my Austrian tax return? Yes, according to [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com)'s own Austrian tax FAQ as read in August 2026. It withholds the 27.5% KESt on shares, ETFs and crypto, but not the 25% KESt on interest paid on your cash balance under § 27a Abs. 1 Z 1 EStG. That interest goes on the E1kv annex. Some comparison sites say otherwise, so check your annual tax report for an interest line with KESt deducted. ### Erste Selfinvest or s Active: what is the difference? Selfinvest is the self-directed online depot: no custody fee up to €50,000 since May 2026, then 0.216% a year, and savings plans at €1 per execution. s Depot charges 0.432% a year and s Active 1.152%, which is €576 a year on a €50,000 portfolio. The advised models include service, but the funds inside can be identical, so ask which model you are opening. ### May an Austrian bank charge me for transferring my depot? Yes. Austria has no equivalent of the German court ruling that bars the outgoing bank from charging, so the bank you leave may bill per position. Comparison-portal tables put the minimums at about €15.72 at [Bank Austria](https://www.bankaustria.at), €27.36 at easybank, €36 at Erste and €48 at [Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at) OÖ, unconfirmed on the banks' own sheets. DADAT refunds incoming transfer costs up to €250, for positions worth at least €2,000. ### Are there junior depots for children in Austria? Yes at branch banks such as Erste and [Raiffeisen](https://www.raiffeisen.at), opened by a parent or guardian, but not at [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) or Scalable as of August 2026. DADAT runs a separate U25 depot for young adults: no custody fee, no account fee and a €1 exchange fee on gettex until the 25th birthday, after which standard terms apply automatically. ### What should I do if my broker's app fails during a market move? Take screenshots with the time, note the order you could not place and complain to the broker in writing straight away. [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) had a login outage of about one hour at a volatile market open on 18 March 2026. If the broker rejects the claim, escalate to its supervisor: the FMA for Austrian banks, the German BaFin for flatex, [Trade Republic](https://traderepublic.com) and Scalable. --- Source: https://www.how-to-austria.com/banking/brokers Last updated: Updated: October 12 2026 Format: LLM-readable Markdown twin (.md) of the canonical HTML page.