Newspapers run full-page advert: withdraw VAT enhance

Greater than thirty newspapers and information media are calling for a full-page commercial to cease the proposed VAT enhance on newspapers. The coalition settlement of PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB contains the plan to extend VAT on printed and digital media from 9 to 21 p.c.

Within the advert, the media write that they concern that folks with a small price range shall be lower off from in-depth journalism. “Because of a rising information hole. ” The VAT enhance will set off an “inevitable decline” in subscriptions, the newspapers wrote.

The anticipated decline additionally has monetary implications for editors. “Smaller titles and regional newspapers will definitely be affected,” wrote the editors of greater than 30 titles, together with de Volkskrant, NRC, AD, Trouw, De Telegraaf and regional titles. “This places plural journalism within the Netherlands as an entire below strain”.

The newspapers are asking the Home of Representatives to make modifications, “though it’s nonetheless potential.” With this VAT enhance, the Netherlands threatens to grow to be the nation after Bulgaria with the best VAT tax on newspapers, the editors write. “The doubling of VAT on journalism to the best stage in all of Europe is unacceptable. If the significance of the rule of regulation is paramount: scrap this measure.”

The VAT enhance got here as an entire shock within the newspaper world, says Corine de Vries, editor-in-chief of a number of regional newspapers and chairman of the Affiliation of Editors within the Information NOS Radio 1. “I do not perceive it. The coalition events say that studying and writing are crucial, however on the similar time they make newspapers, magazines and books costlier.”

De Vries expects that there are events within the Home of Representatives who need to withdraw the plan. “I hope that the coalition events haven’t absolutely understood what this implies and that they are going to discover one thing else to chop again on.”

The Affiliation of Dutch Journalists (NVJ) has beforehand criticized the settlement. She referred to as the VAT enhance an “sudden poison tablet” that’s “completely irrational”. “Inspiring journalism can be applicable at a time when tech firms are overwhelming the general public with non-information,” mentioned Thomas Bruning, secretary basic of the NVJ.

The coalition settlement additionally states that cuts shall be made to the NPO. Round 100 million euros shall be taken out of the price range.