Posted on 05/11/2007 11:38:14 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
May 10, 2007
Tax inspectors seek slice of prostitutes’ earnings
by Roger Boyes
Berlin’s brothels are accustomed to all sorts of nocturnal visitors, but not, on the whole, to tax inspectors with clip-boards and stopwatches studying financial turnover.
The cash-strapped German capital this week dispatched inspectors into establishments such as Lust Land to drum up revenue from the city’s 7,000 sex workers. “Prostitution is a strong economic sector in the capital,” says Gerry Woop, spokesman for Berlin’s economic administration.
According to the German Institute for Economic Research, prostitution in Berlin has an annual turnover of €300 million (£203 million), making the sex industry more dynamic than domestic builders, painters and decorators.
Prostitution was legalised in 2002. This allowed brothel owners to provide more hygenic conditions of work and prostitutes became eligible for pensions and health insurance.
But the quid pro quo was that prostitutes should fill in annual tax returns. So far only a handful have been doing so.
Under the new rules, each prostitute will be required to pay €30 a day to the brothel owner as an advance payment on tax. The prostitute should have documentary proof for every day worked.
The association for prostitutes, HyDra, says the figure assumes unreasonably high earnings and should be reduced to €15. The service workers trade union, Verdi, is also backing the sex workers.
Whenever I read stories like this, that tune by The Beatles "Taxman" always comes to mind...
Let me tell you how it will be,
There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat,
If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Taxman Mister Wilson)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Taxman Mister Heath),
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Now my advice for those who die,
Declare the pennies on your eyes,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
Taxman.
Just trying to put this in the proper context.
After ALL the taxes they collect ????
Yet another f*#(ing tax.
A clever bit of Limey slang sneaked in there...... :0)
Yep...
How about the desription of tax collectors with clipboards and stopwatches?
I don’t know who is the bigger freak...the ‘johns” who go to these brothels or the taxmen who who time and document each “transaction.”
Third Official: Well most things we do for pleasure nowadays are taxed, except one.Politician: What do you mean?
Third Official: Well, er, smoking's been taxed, drinking's been taxed but not ... thingy.
Politician: Good Lord, you're not suggesting we should tax... thingy?
[snip]
Second Official: Ah, thingy. Well it'll certainly make chartered accountancy a much more interesting job.
Literally.
There is an easy way to make prostitutes, gamblers, barterers and others who get around paying taxes on their income.
Consumption tax. Tax people on what they spend. It seems so simple.
The reason we will never see a consumption tax is that government would lose control of redistribution of the nation’s money.
I say leave the prostitutes alone and screw the tax.
"Fifty dollars, plus tax."
45 states and DC have a consumption tax. 44 of those and DC have an income tax too.
In 20 years or so when the impending entitlement disaster is no longer just impending, count on a federal consumption tax.
And an income tax too.
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