Increased security for FinanzOnline from October

For many years, the FinanzOnline platform has proven itself to be the tax authority's electronic mailbox (for notices, booking confirmations, advance payment notifications, etc.) and a channel for submitting tax returns (especially employee assessments), repayment claims, and so on. As this consistently involves sensitive information, security is paramount. From October 2025, the security standard for using FinanzOnline (this also applies to businesses) will be further enhanced by requiring 2-factor authentication for logins from then on. The transition could and can already be carried out voluntarily before October.

The most convenient option for this is likely to be using "ID Austria" for two-factor authentication, as ID Austria can already be used for numerous other applications and official matters, and fulfils all requirements for secure two-factor authentication. Technically, two-factor authentication works by verifying the user's identity in a second confirmation step after entering their login credentials (as is common with online banking).

If ID Austria cannot be used, there is an alternative 2-factor authentication that can be set up directly in FinanzOnline. For smartphones, an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator must be used – there are also solutions for laptops and desktop PCs. If a device is lost or replaced, 2-factor authentication can be reactivated independently with a recovery code.

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