Dutch Government To Tax Prostitutes

They’ve been considering making the move for a few months, but the Dutch tax-man is indeed coming for Amsterdam’s prostitutes.

Traditionally, tax authorities have gone easy on prostitutes, given the whole human trafficking/pimp thing and all. But, says the BBC, that could change: “the industry generates about 625m euros per year (£550m; $800m). And with thousands of potential added taxpayers, the authorities are now planning to pursue them for the average 33% tax that until now many have managed to avoid.”

Prostitution may be legal in Amsterdam, but that doesn’t mean equality — and for some, the tax imposition rankles. Says one Dutch sex worker, “It’s hard to be a sex worker, not the job itself, but the way society is treating you. So it feels like a little bit of a double standard to pay tax to a society that doesn’t accept you.”

Amsterdam’s Prostitutes Targeted By Dutch Tax Officials [BBC]
Dutch Prostitutes Get Visit From Tax Collector [CBS]