Denmark to abolish VAT on books in effort to get more people reading
Culture minister says government will propose ending the 25% rate, the highest in the world, in its budget bill
Meanwhile this was a stupid proposal over here in Slovakia: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/20/slovakia-targets-wealthy-book-buyers-with-steep-vat-rise
Announcing the new VAT rate this week, Slovakia’s finance minister, Ladislav Kamenický, claimed studies had shown that books were “primarily purchased by wealthier segments of the population” and could therefore be taxed at the new basic rate of 23% rather than the current rate of 10%.
The idiots should make more people read rather than just the wealthy elite. Problem is that if it indeed is so, most people won't complain sadly.
studies had shown that books were “primarily purchased by wealthier segments of the population”
This is basically universally true, the better educated read way more books on average.
The best way to give people with little money better access to books is free libraries of good standard.
If you are poor it doesn't matter much that the price drops from 10 Euro to 8 Euro. ( at 25% VAT. )
The price of books in Denmark is generally not a problem at all, only for the poorest it may be, for them better libraries is better.
Such a decrease in VAT will by far benefit the better off more.
What we need is to remove VAT on basic and healthy foods. We still have 25% VAT on all food. And vegetables are pretty expensive here in Denmark, AFAIK we are the most expensive country to buy food in EU.
I'm OK with removing VAT on books, but not before basic foods!
they never read about the chicken and egg situation
Cynic that I am, I expect the book sellers to leave the prices unchanged whilst they pocket the VAT savings.
Well. Problem with small nations with a distinct language (I am Norwegian, and written Norwegian and Danish is basically dialects of the same language. Personally I hate reading danish and enjoy swedish. Think I am a massive outlier) is that you never get any volume. In all the Scandinavian countries large part of the population is pretty much fluent in English (guess the reading population skew even higher) so you have the added competition of English language books as well.
On books but not on food! 🤢 🤮
A debate we have had repeatedly, and the argument by the government to not do it on food is that it would be too much administration to cut VAT on healthy/basic foods.
But it's absolutely possible on books. !?!?!
The double standard is astounding.
Norway doesn't have VAT on books. Even if you buy from outside the borders in different languages there is no VAT. Can't speak for others but for me it sure make me buy more books.
How about funding/create a reading community?
