Captains • First Officers • Cabin Crew — we handle the admin so you get the refund.
Why you can get a refund
On 4 September 2025, Austria’s Supreme Administrative Court confirmed that certain aircrew must be exempt from Austrian income tax, clearing the way to reclaim the full Austrian income tax withheld from air crew, subject to the usual eligibility checks. We execute the administrative* process so the refund is released.
*Note: We act solely as an administrative agent (no tax or legal advice; no annual return preparation). Refund decisions remain with the Austrian tax authority.
Eligibility
You can claim if you’re Captain, First Officer or Cabin Crew on a Malta-based employment contract (e.g., Lauda Europe Ltd.) and Austrian wage tax was withheld from your pay in any of the last 4 years. Residency and day-count don’t matter for this route. If you already filed, we can reopen eligible years. You’re not eligible if no Austrian wage tax was withheld, if you weren’t employed under the Malta structure, or if the year lies outside the reopen window.
How It Works
Email us to start
Send us a quick email with your basic information, including your full name, position (Captain / First Officer / Cabin Crew), and the year you've started.
We get the process rolling
We send you our offer, onboard you, send you a quick checklist, some documents, and the upfront invoice. Once that's done we file your refund request.
Wait for the payout
We manage all correspondence and admin tasks with the tax authorities. If the authority asks anything, you forward it to us—we draft the response. The rest is waiting for your payout.
FAQ
Who can claim via the Malta Route?
Captains, First Officers, and Cabin Crew on a Malta-based employment structure (e.g., Lauda Europe Ltd.) who had Austrian wage tax withheld in the last up to 4 years.
How much does the Malta Route service cost?
- Captain: €1,000 per assessment year
First Officer: €800 per assessment year
Cabin Crew: €300 per assessment year. We have reduced the fee for cabin crew since we are aware that the thresholds are sometimes low. Contact us in any event and we are happy to discuss.
Re-opening previous years: €300 per year (up to 4 years, if eligible)
Partial-year discount: If you didn’t work the full year, we reduce the fee proportionally—up to 50% for ≤6 months.
Value check: If we believe your reclaim for a year is already maximized or would be too small to justify the work or cost, we’ll tell you before proceeding.
Do you charge VAT?
At present we invoice without VAT under Estonian rules. If/when VAT becomes applicable, invoices will clearly show it.
What about the commuter allowance and per diems?
If you qualify for the Malta Route, your air-crew income is exempt from Austrian tax and the withheld Austrian income tax is refunded. With no Austrian tax left to reduce, these allowances simply don’t apply to that income. (If you also have separate Austrian-taxable income in the same year, such allowances may still matter for that separate portion.)
Do Austrian day-counts matter?
Not for this route. Eligibility rests on the Malta structure + Austrian wage tax withholding, not on nights spent in Austria.
I already filed my Austrian return—can you still help?
Yes. We can usually reopen up to 4 years (subject to procedural windows) and process the refund via the Malta Route.
What exactly do you do?
We provide administrative execution only: prepare and submit filings in your name, coordinate with the authority, and manage follow-ups until payout. No tax advice. No annual return prep.
How do I start?
Email office@crewtax.eu with: name, country, role (Captain/FO/Cabin), years to claim, and whether you already filed.
What documents will you ask for?
Typically: employer/basis details, IBAN/BIC, and basic ID data. If needed, we’ll ask for further documents—we’ll tell you exactly what and when.
Do you work with my tax advisor?
Yes. If you (or your advisor) already prepared a return, send us the final PDF; we’ll forward it with our request and manage the administrative process.
Do you also prepare my annual tax return?
No. We don’t prepare or advise on annual returns. We provide administrative execution only for the Malta Route refund.
If you have a tax advisor: they handle your E1/L1; we supply the Malta Route request and can submit it in parallel.
If you file yourself: send us the PDF of your return (or FinanzOnline confirmation) and your L16; we’ll add the Malta request and dispatch.
How long does it take?
Timelines vary by office and year—expect weeks to months. We handle the back-and-forth and keep you updated. Also note that this process is completely new to the tax authorities as well.
How is the refund paid?
This will depend on how the tax authorities will handle it. We assume directly to your IBAN by the Austrian tax authority. We don’t touch client funds.
Will I owe tax in Malta?
Generally, no—if you are not resident in Malta and have no other Maltese ties (e.g., no domicile or habitual residence there, no Maltese employment/self-employment, no business presence, no long-term lease). We screen this during onboarding.
If you are Malta-resident or have meaningful ties, Malta may tax your income and the Malta Route may not be suitable. In that case we’ll flag it and you should confirm your position with a Maltese tax adviser.
Could Austria change the law retroactively and claw back my refund?
Highly unlikely. In Austria, true retroactivity—a new law that reaches back to completed tax years and worsens your position—is generally unconstitutional and only allowed in very exceptional cases. Courts protect legal certainty and legitimate expectations; by contrast, quasi-retroactivity may affect open cases going forward but not finalised ones. Already-paid refunds can only be revisited if the tax office has specific legal grounds to reopen your case (e.g., new facts or proven fraud). Otherwise, they stand. For the Malta Route specifically, Austria’s Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) has now dismissed the tax office’s revision, confirming exemption for certain air crew; the authority must implement that outcome in matching fact patterns.
Any guarantees?
This route is supported by a recent court outcome and is now the standard path we use. Final decisions lie with the tax authority, but our role is to execute the admin so the refund can be released.
Data protection?
We operate under GDPR. Your data is used only to execute your mandate. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Who are you?
crewtax.eu is the trading name of Aerlon OÜ, a company incorporated and based in Estonia (reg. no. 17321794), with registered office at Harju maakond, Tallinn, Kesklinna linnaosa, Tartu mnt 67/1-13b, 10115. We provide administrative services only (no tax advice / no annual return prep) and file in your name. Refunds are paid directly by the tax authority to your IBAN. We process personal data under GDPR solely to execute your mandate.