Suspension of the trade for special trades – Notification

General information

Suspension means that the trade licence remains valid, but the trade is not practised for a longer period of time. Only in the case of the following trades

• Builder and construction contractor,
• Commercial financial advice including the brokerage of life and accident insurance,
• real estate trustee (estate agent, property manager, property developer),
• insurance brokerage (insurance agent, insurance broker and insurance consulting)

the suspension has to be reported to the trade authority in advance.

For all other trades, the suspension of business activities must be reported to the chamber of commerce [Wirtschaftskammer Österreich] within 3 weeks.

Deadlines

The suspension of business activities must be notified in advance. Notification after the fact is inadmissible and invalid.

Competent authority

The trade authority responsible for the location of the trade:

• the District Authority^{German text} [Bezirkshauptmannschaft]
• in Chartered Cities [Statutarstädte] the Municipal Administration^{German text}[Magistrat]
  • in Vienna: depending on the type of business, the office of the Municipal District Authority [Magistratische Bezirksämter] or MA 63 (→ City of Vienna)^{German text}

Procedure

• Notification of suspension of business activities
• Entry of the suspension in GISA [Gewerbeinformationssystem Austria] or the insurance broker register
• Sending of a notification of suspension of business activities to the trader

Costs and fees

There are no fees or charges.

Further information

During the period in which the business is registered as dormant in the GISA and insurance broker register,

• the business may not be carried on,
• no liability insurance is required,
• and the other obligations associated with carrying on the business do not have to be fulfilled.

Authentication and signature

• Electronic: without authentication (via GISA) or with registration with ID Austria (id-austria.gv.at)
• Written: informal

Means of redress or appeal

An appeal may be lodged against a decision. The appeal must be submitted in writing within four weeks to the authority that issued the decision. The period begins with the delivery of the written copy or, in the case of an oral announcement, with the announcement itself.

The appeal must also specify the decision against which it is directed, the authority concerned, the grounds on which the allegation of illegality is based, the request and the information necessary to assess whether the appeal has been lodged in time. An appeal is no longer admissible if, after the decision has been delivered or announced, the party has expressly waived the right to appeal.

In addition, every decision contains information on the right of appeal, specifying the authority to which the appeal must be lodged and the time limit for doing so.