In light of the current circumstances brought about by COVID-19 and the rather worrying situation for the economy of Germany’s entertainment industry, this news, brought up on 23rd July of this year but only published recently, has brought a ray of positivity and hope to the world of electronic music.
The judgement of this new decree states that:
“The performance of techno and house music by various DJs can give an event the character of a concert or a concert-like event even if the music performances take place regularly (weekly). The tendency of the audience to focus on the DJ and the emptying of the dance floor after a DJ set, as determined by the FG, clearly shows that the DJ – as usual at concerts – is in the foreground of the performance.”
In Germany, techno and house club events can now be considered to be “concert-like” events, thus lowering the tax rate on ticket sales, which would usually be paid by clubs. Rather than dismissing the purpose of their work as being solely for mere entertainment, the court decreed that their work is of cultural significance, thus it should be allowed to pay a reduced tax rate. Due to this new ruling, the VAT rate on entrance fees has been reduced to 7%, a similar rate to that paid by theatres, museums and concert venues.
