Program Overview

Bachelor Business and Economics

The Bachelor Business and Economics program at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) offers a comprehensive education in business and economics, with a strong focus on practical applications and international perspectives.

Specialization Accounting and Taxation

The specialization "Accounting & Taxation" focuses on the main aspects of tax systems, international tax management, consolidated financial reporting, and auditing. This specialization is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the tax and accounting ramifications of various countries, which is crucial for management decisions on location, investment, finance, and the use of management judgment for financial statements.

What is it about?

The specialization "Accounting & Taxation" covers the following topics:

• Tax planning and anti-avoidance rules for multinational enterprises
• Tax optimal decision making
• Effective tax rates and their use in comparing the tax burden in different countries
• Preparation of consolidated financial statements
• Analysis of annual reports
• International Standards on Auditing
• Planning and conducting an audit

Combination with other specializations

The specialization "Accounting & Taxation" combines well with other specializations from the institute, including:

• Rechnungslegung und Steuerlehre (covers details of Austrian legal regulations and is primarily aimed at careers as tax advisors or auditors)
• International Accounting and Controlling (focuses on the details of international accounting and its link to corporate management)
• Sustainability Reporting (focuses on sustainability accounting)

Career prospects

Graduates of the specialization "Accounting & Taxation" have excellent job prospects and are in high demand as top-qualified accounting and tax experts. Career opportunities include:

• "Big 4" and "mid-tier" consulting firms
• Corporate world (accounting, tax function)
• Business executive career (CFO, head of accounting, head of tax)
• Public sector, government authorities, and international organizations

Who will teach you?

The specialization "Accounting & Taxation" is taught by experienced professors, including:

• Prof. Harald Amberger, PhD
• Prof. Dr. Ewald Aschauer
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Hirschler
• Prof. Dr. Katrin Hummel
• Prof. Dr. Matthias Petutschnig

Courses included

The specialization includes five courses with a total of 20 ECTS:

1. Course I: Taxation of corporate income (4 ECTS)
   • Key principles of business taxation and their implications for decision-making
   • Different types of taxes and their relevance for tax revenue
   • Key concepts of business taxation (statutory, effective, average, and marginal tax rates, questions of tax incidence, etc.)
2. Course II: Financial Statements (4 ECTS)
   • Introduction to sustainability reporting standards in Europe
   • Preparation of group financial statements (consolidation techniques, intragroup profit elimination, etc.)
3. Course III: International Tax Strategy (4 ECTS)
   • Tax planning in multinational enterprises and anti-avoidance rules
   • Differences in tax systems and alternative approaches to business taxation
   • Effective tax rates and their use in comparing different countries
4. Course IV: Auditing (4 ECTS)
   • Financial analysis and the auditing process of group financial statements
   • Generally accepted auditing standards, tests of compliance, audit risk, materiality, and evidence
5. Course V: Seminar in Accounting and Taxation (4 ECTS)
   • Current topics in accounting and taxation
   • Formulating and answering a research question based on existing literature
   • Research, writing, and presenting a small research paper

Admission Procedure

Students can start the BBE specialization in the winter term. Admission is based on the overall GPA on the final date of the registration period. Registration starts at the end of August, and students are accepted based on their GPA without a selection procedure for the upcoming summer semester.