The cash-register obligation in the workshop: what applies in Austria in 2026

Anyone who repairs and takes payment in Austria can’t get around the cash-register obligation. And yet in many workshops there’s uncertainty: from when does it apply, what must the register be able to do — and is the old cash book really no longer enough?

From when does the cash-register obligation apply?

The rule of thumb: if your annual turnover exceeds 15,000 euros and more than 7,500 euros of that is in cash (this also includes debit- and credit-card payments on site), you need an electronic cash register. For most repair businesses — whether phones, e-scooters, or bicycles — that’s reached quickly: just a few repairs a week across the counter are enough.

On top of that comes the receipt-issuing obligation: every customer gets a receipt, for every cash transaction, without exception.

What does “RKSV-compliant” mean?

The cash-register security regulation (RKSV — Registrierkassensicherheitsverordnung) requires more than just a receipt printer:

• A digital signature on every receipt via a certified signature-creation unit
• A start receipt, zero receipts, and annual receipts at defined times
• A data-collection log (DEP — Datenerfassungsprotokoll) that records every transaction tamper-proof and can be exported
• Registration of the cash register with the tax authority

A register that doesn’t handle this automatically doesn’t meet the obligation — and during a cash-register inspection, that’s exactly what gets checked.

The myth of expensive hardware

Many businesses believe RKSV-compliant means: an expensive cash-register system with special hardware. That hasn’t been true for years. A cloud register turns the tablet or laptop that’s already in the shop into a fully fledged cash-register system — the signature runs over a certified service in the background, and the receipt comes from an inexpensive receipt printer or goes paperless by QR code and email to the customer.

In SimpliServ exactly this is built in: every receipt is signed automatically, start, zero, and annual receipts are covered, and the DEP export is ready at the push of a button.

Why the register should talk to the rest of the business

The obligation is one thing — the daily routine is another. A register that runs as an island creates double work: sales have to be transferred to stock, jobs retyped, daily turnovers merged by hand.

Better is a register connected directly to jobs and stock: scan the job, the line items are there, take payment — and the installed part is deducted from stock at the same time.

Frequently asked questions from practice

Does the obligation also apply to card payments?

Yes — debit- and credit-card payments on site count as cash turnover within the meaning of the regulation.

What happens during a cash-register inspection?

The tax authority checks receipts, signatures, and the DEP unannounced. With a compliant register that’s an export — without one, a problem.

And in Germany?

There the TSE obligation applies (TSE — technical security device, Technische Sicherheitseinrichtung) — the counterpart to the RKSV. SimpliServ covers both countries.

Conclusion

The cash-register obligation is no rocket science — when the register does the work. Instead of investing in special hardware, it’s worth looking at systems that connect register, jobs, and stock and meet the RKSV requirements automatically. What that looks like is shown by the cash-register solution from SimpliServ.