Slovakia disagrees with proposed Austrian tax law

Slovakia disagrees with an Austrian draft law, in which family allowances for foreign parents working in Austria would be adjusted to reflect the cost of living in their home countries. "If someone pays the same level of social contributions and taxes in that country, they should also receive the same social benefits from that country," stated Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) after meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Monday in Vienna. Pellegrini (SMER-SD) requested detailed information about the social benefits available to Slovak citizens working in Austria. At the same time, Pellegrini invited the Austrian Chancellor to visit Bratislava, while Kurz promised to visit the Slovak capital in the foreseeable future. At the briefing after their talks, Pellegrini called Austria a strategic partner for Slovakia, though there are still opportunities for more intensive cooperation in several areas or to proceed jointly on some pan-European issues.