Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Monday, March 22, 2010 10:19 am TWN, Reuters

Belgium sex shop must pay full tax rate: ECJ

European judges have ruled that a sex shop with movie cubicles does not qualify for a reduced rate of sales tax because it is not a cinema.

The decision by the European Court of Justice — Europe's highest court — follows a dispute in Belgium involving a sex shop which levied value-added tax of 6 percent on its activities rather than the standard rate of 21 percent.

The owner of the coin-operated Erotic Center in Bruges argued his business qualified for the lower rate — which applies to cinemas in Belgium — because it allowed customers to pay money to watch one or more movies.

The court ruled the Erotic Center's cubicles did not meet the definition for a reduced VAT rate, which states that an establishment must be “available to the public on prior payment of an admission fee giving all those who pay it the right collectively to enjoy the cultural and entertainment services.”

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

Share

Print

Email


Sponsors
▪	Save 70% for hotel in Shanghai and 6000 hotels, in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and all China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!