This article examines the Austrian tax treatment of a survivor’s pension paid by the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund to the widower of a former employee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a specialized agency of the United Nations. It critically analyzes Austrian advance rulings (EAS 3456) in light of the wording, structure, and scope of the UN Headquarters Agreement, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, and the IMF Agreement, with a particular focus on whether Section 26 of the UN Headquarters Agreement constitutes an autonomous tax exemption. The discussion addresses interpretative issues under the applicability of privileges to UN specialized agencies, and the limits of extending such exemptions to pensions arising from service in other international organisations under UNJSPF “transfer agreements”. Special attention is given to the meaning of “emoluments” in Article IX Section 9(b) of the IMF Agreement and its relevance to pensions, as well as the requirement that exempt payments be made directly by the IMF. The analysis reveals inconsistencies in the Austrian interpretation and explores the implications for the taxation of...