China was the first country to react to the COVID-19 crisis by means of numerous measures at different levels. Now China is focusing on the economy: The objective is to boost economic recovery, inter alia with the help of tax law. Italy is the European counterpart of China: The country has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, which has serious economic consequences. As a reaction, the Italian government has issued the “Cura Italia", which decrees numerous measures including tax incentives to soften these consequences. Due to the fact that China was the first country achieving some success in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and Italy – shattered by this crisis – constitutes one of the most important Austrian trade partners, it appears essential to examine the tax measures taken by those countries to combat the adverse effects of COVID-19.
