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Germans Taxing Sex
Sorry, Fred, if this has already been posted when I was unable to access this site.
With the German economy on the brink of recession, cash-strapped cities are resorting to slapping a "pleasure tax" on brothels to help balance budgets. Berlin and Cologne said on Friday they may broaden their existing pleasure tax — which already applies to casinos and public events — to brothels, sex shows and erotic trade fairs. The cities of Gelsenkirchen and Dorsten have already done so, but with only modest success. Only about a tenth of brothels have paid up since the tax was broadened in January.
Could be because hookers have thousands of years of experience in dealing with shakedowns...
Tax officials are checking out sex venues and prostitutes working from home to see if they are eligible for the tax, which amounts to 5.60 euros ($6.40) per 10 square meters (107 sq ft) of business space per day. Any smaller establishment is exempt. "Our tax inspectors are combing through sex adverts in local newspapers and then paying visits, but equipped with measuring tapes," said Martin Schulmann, spokesman for Gelsenkirchen.
Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "How big is it??
Prostitutes' lobby group Hydra said in a statement the tax was "pretty absurd."
For once, I agree with the ho's
"Are we going to measure tax payments by the size of the brothel? If so Berlin's clients will have to satisfy their needs in cramped cubbyholes or standing up. Does this city need this?"
"That's why we have parks!"
Berlin's debt per capita is more than double that of recession-hit Argentina. Other cities are also deeply in the red. "Many places are trying to get out of the tax by claiming they are just sex cinemas, which only have to pay half the tax rate. It's quite hard to collect," said Schulmann.
well, if you're willing to believe that something a little bigger than 10 square meters is a porno theater....
But even if all Gelsenkirchen's brothels paid up, the tax would only yield about 150,000 euros ($171,400) a year — a drop in the ocean of 250 million euros of debt the city has. Germany, dubbed the "sick man of Europe" because its giant economy has stagnated since 2001, is struggling with a burgeoning budget deficit and mass unemployment.
I always thought Germans were fiscally responsible.....what the hell happened??
Posted by: Baba Yaga 2003-05-19
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=14471