Website www.bmf.gv.at Founded 1848 | Headquarters Vienna, Austria Jurisdiction Government of Austria | |
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Formed 1848; 169 years ago (1848) Agency executive Hans Jörg Schelling (ÖVP), Federal Minister for Finance Profiles | ||
The Federal Ministry of Finance (German: Bundesministerium für Finanzen, abbreviated BMF or Finanzministerium) is the cabinet-level finance ministry of the Austrian Federal Government. Its seat is at the former city palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Austrian capital Vienna. The current Federal Minister of Finance is Hans Jörg Schelling (ÖVP).
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Structure and function
The Ministry is responsible for revenue administration on federal level, including the government budget, matters of finance concerning the European Union, taxes, duties and tariffs. It defines and conducts the country's budgetary policy, concerning currency, credit, savings bank (Sparkassen) and exchange matters, capital movements and settlement, insurance control and hallmarks. It is also concerned with economic policy, if not discharged by the Federal Ministry for Economics.
The Finance Minister and his General Secretary chair six departments (Sektionen):
History
A first Hofkammer (court chamber) stewardship for the Austrian lands was established in Vienna by Archduke Ferdinand I, in order to balance the deficient Habsburg budget. Re-established by Maria Theresa in 1760, the chamber upon the Revolutions of 1848 became the k.k. Finance Ministry of the Austrian Empire and took its seat at the Prince Eugene palace.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 the Austrian Finance Minister was only responsible for the Cisleithanian crown lands, while for the common financial policy of the real union, a separate Austro-Hungarian k.u.k. Finance Ministry was established. After World War I, the First Austrian Republic implemented a Staatsamt für Finanzen, which was renamed upon the adoption of the Austrian Constitution (B-VG) in 1920.