{"id":482,"date":"2026-03-15T14:46:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T13:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:13:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:13:46","slug":"corporate-criminal-law-in-austria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate Criminal Law in Austria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In Austria, companies can be held criminally liable under the <strong>Corporate Criminal Liability Act <\/strong>(VbVG) for offenses committed by their decision-makers or employees. This establishes not only personal criminal liability for the individuals involved, but also an independent liability of the company itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For affected companies, the question often arises under which conditions such liability can occur and what consequences such proceedings may entail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who is covered by corporate criminal law?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The VbVG applies to legal entities such as limited liability companies (GmbH) and stock corporations (AG), as well as registered partnerships (OG, KG) and European Economic Interest Groupings.<br>However, it does not apply to the federal government, the provinces, and municipalities insofar as they act in the execution of laws, nor to estates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Attribution to the entity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The liability of an entity is always linked to a criminal offense committed by a natural person. The decisive factor is whether this act can be attributed to the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attribution is particularly possible if<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the offense was committed for the benefit of the company, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the offense violated obligations that affect the entity itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A benefit to the company may already exist if costs are saved or an economic advantage is sought through the offense. It is not required that the identity of the perpetrator is known.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Decision-makers vs. employees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The law distinguishes between decision-makers and employees in terms of attribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decision-makers include, for example, managing directors, members of the management board, or authorized signatories, as well as persons who exercise significant influence over management. If a decision-maker commits a criminal offense in connection with their function, it can be directly attributed to the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of offenses committed by employees, the company\u2019s liability is primarily possible if organizational deficiencies within the company enabled or significantly facilitated the offense. This refers, for example, to inadequate control mechanisms, missing policies, or insufficient compliance structures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The criminal liability of the company exists alongside the liability of the acting individual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attention: The separate criminal liability of the natural person and the company also applies where the perpetrator and the company are economically identical (e.g., a \u201cone-person GmbH\u201d). This can have significant consequences, particularly in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/areas-of-expertise\/financial-criminal-law\/\">financial criminal<\/a> proceedings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proceedings against the company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the public prosecutor assumes that not only individuals but also the company may be responsible for a criminal offense, charges are generally brought not only against the individuals concerned but also against the entity. The company has an independent position in the proceedings and enjoys the rights of an accused party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the main hearing, the court decides on two distinct issues: the criminal liability of the accused individuals and the responsibility of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, the judgment concerning the natural persons is announced. If a conviction follows, the main hearing is then continued and a separate decision is made as to whether the entity is also responsible for the offense and whether a corporate fine is to be imposed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In practice, both proceedings are often closely linked, as the company\u2019s liability regularly derives from the conduct of a decision-maker or employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In rare cases, it may occur that the accused natural person is acquitted, but the proceedings against the entity are nevertheless continued. This may be the case, for example, if organizational deficiencies within the company are identified during the proceedings that enabled or facilitated a criminal offense, without this organizational fault being clearly attributable to a specific executive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consequences of a conviction for companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The corporate fine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If a company\u2019s responsibility is established, the court imposes a corporate fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is calculated in daily rates. The number of daily rates can be up to 180 and depends on the penalty applicable to the underlying criminal offense. The amount of a single daily rate is determined based on the economic capacity of the company and can range between EUR 50 and EUR 30,000. The company\u2019s retained earnings in recent financial years are also relevant for determining the amount of the fine.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When determining the fine, the court takes into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Mitigating factors may include, for example, if a company had already implemented appropriate compliance measures prior to the offense or actively contributes to clarifying the facts and compensates for the damage after the incident becomes known. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under certain conditions, the fine may also be conditionally waived in whole or in part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional negative consequences of a conviction for companies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the fine itself, a conviction under the Corporate Criminal Liability Act can have far-reaching effects beyond criminal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>damage to reputation and loss of trust among business partners or customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>difficulties or exclusion from participation in public procurement procedures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>civil law claims for damages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>potential problems in credit negotiations with banks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These economic and reputational consequences can often weigh more heavily on companies in the long term than the fine itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Possibility of avoiding a conviction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A violation of the Corporate Criminal Liability Act does not necessarily lead to a conviction of the company in criminal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The law explicitly provides for possibilities to refrain from prosecuting the entity or to resolve proceedings through diversion. Under Sections 18 and 19 VbVG, the public prosecutor may refrain from prosecution under certain conditions. Furthermore, the proceedings may also be concluded through diversion\u2014either by the public prosecutor or the court\u2014such as by the payment of a sum of money or the fulfillment of certain conditions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key requirement is that there are no special or general preventive reasons opposing such an approach. In practice, factors such as the company\u2019s willingness to cooperate, comprehensive clarification of the facts, compensation for damages, and improved compliance structures play an important role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For companies, this has the particular advantage that no entry is made in the corporate register of sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For affected companies, this means: Early, strategically well-considered action can have a significant influence on the further course of the proceedings and, in individual cases, help to avoid a formal conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Corporate criminal law has become a central component of Austrian criminal law. For companies, this means that not only the individual actions of decision-makers and employees, but also organizational precautions and compliance structures determine criminal liability. A well-implemented compliance system can therefore not only reduce risks but also have a mitigating effect in criminal proceedings.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the event of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/areas-of-expertise\/criminal-defense\/\">criminal proceedings<\/a>, early, strategically well-considered action can have a significant impact on the further course of the proceedings and, in individual cases, help to avoid a formal conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your company is affected by a criminal allegation or fears such proceedings, early legal advice can be decisive. Our law firm supports you strategically in risk analysis, compliance measures, and representation in proceedings. Contact us without obligation to coordinate your next steps.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-base-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-light-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-602c858f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9c22b1e3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"524\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait photo of lawyer Markus Weisser\" class=\"wp-image-96\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser.jpg 524w, https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser-300x262.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Markus Weisser<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mag. Markus Weisser is a lawyer and criminal defense attorney in Vienna, specializing in defense in white-collar criminal law. In addition, he regularly gives lectures on various subject areas. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-ff2c9ce1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-dce74dba wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/\">Back to blog overview<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-dce74dba wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/ent\/contact-us\/\">Contact<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-secondary-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-867483a7 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4f2155eb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-primary-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-primary-background-color has-background\"\/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><details class=\"schema-faq-section\"  id=\"faq-question-1753430067089\"><summary class=\"schema-faq-question\" ><strong><strong><strong>What types of criminal offenses can a decision-maker trigger for which the company can be held liable?<\/summary><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A decision-maker can, for example, be the managing director or an authorized signatory. The company can be held liable if the decision-maker commits a criminal offense in the course of their function, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/fraud-in-austrian-criminal-law-requirements-aggravated-forms-and-legal-consequences\/\">fraud <\/a>or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/areas-of-expertise\/anti-corruption-law\/\">corruption<\/a>, and in doing so directly benefits the company. The crucial point is that the offense is connected to the decision-maker\u2019s role and responsibilities. <br\/><br\/><strong>Example<\/strong>: A managing director falsifies revenues in the accounting records and deceives investors about the company\u2019s financial performance. In this case, the company can be held liable for the decision-maker\u2019s offense, as the fraud occurred within the scope of management and the company directly benefited. <\/p> <\/details> <details class=\"schema-faq-section\"  id=\"faq-question-1753430103453\"><summary class=\"schema-faq-question\" ><strong><strong>Can a company also be held liable for criminal offenses committed by employees?<\/summary><\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Ja, insbesondere wenn die Tat durch organisatorische M\u00e4ngel oder fehlende Compliance-Ma\u00dfnahmen erm\u00f6glicht oder wesentlich erleichtert wurde. In solchen F\u00e4llen kann das Unternehmen wegen Organisationsverschuldens verantwortlich gemacht werden, selbst wenn kein konkreter Entscheidungstr\u00e4ger direkt beteiligt war. <br\/><br\/><br\/>Example: An accounting employee manipulates internal records to charge personal expenses to the company account. The company had previously failed to implement internal audit mechanisms or a dual-control system to prevent such manipulations. Due to this organizational fault, the company itself can be held liable, even though no managing director was directly involved.  <\/p> <\/details> <details class=\"schema-faq-section\"  id=\"faq-question-1753430105594\"><summary class=\"schema-faq-question\" ><strong><strong><strong>Does a proceeding against a company always have to result in a conviction?<\/summary><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Nein. Unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen kann die Staatsanwaltschaft von einer Verfolgung absehen oder das Verfahren diversionell erledigen. Die Chancen f\u00fcr ein solches Vorgehen stehen gut, wenn die Tat keine schweren Folgen hat. Schwere Folgen sind etwa der Tod eines Menschen, eine schwere K\u00f6rperverletzung, oder ein Verm\u00f6gensschaden von etwa 50.000\u20ac.   <\/p> <\/details> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-base-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b2f0bcc3 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Contact us for a consultation <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-38c86160 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-primary-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-primary-background-color has-background\"\/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">We provide comprehensive advice and are committed to representing your interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-d2a3880e wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/ent\/contact-us\/\">Contact<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Austria, companies can be held criminally liable under the Corporate Criminal Liability Act (VbVG) for offenses committed by their decision-makers or employees. This establishes not only personal criminal liability for the individuals involved, but also an independent liability of the company itself. For affected companies, the question often arises under which conditions such liability [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"featured_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nicht-kategorisiert","category-white-collar-criminal-defense"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lawyer for company criminal law in Vienna<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mag. Markus Weisser is a lawyer in Vienna and an expert in fraud. We advise you at all stages of criminal proceedings.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lawyer for company criminal law in Vienna\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mag. Markus Weisser is a lawyer in Vienna and an expert in fraud. We advise you at all stages of criminal proceedings.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rechtsanwalt Markus Weisser\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-15T13:46:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T14:13:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"524\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"458\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Markus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Markus\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Markus\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/b9f9427d82bba4a56f3bdbc1bb93ef84\"},\"headline\":\"Corporate Criminal Law in Austria\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-15T13:46:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-09T14:13:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\"},\"wordCount\":1483,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Nicht kategorisiert\",\"White-Collar Criminal Defense\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/\",\"name\":\"Lawyer for company criminal law in Vienna\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/en\/blog\/corporate-criminal-law-in-austria\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ra-weisser.at\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MarkusWeisser.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-15T13:46:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-09T14:13:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"Mag. Markus Weisser is a lawyer in Vienna and an expert in fraud. 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