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Denmark to scrap book tax to get people reading

Cover Image for Denmark to scrap book tax to get people reading

An education report found 24% of 15-year-olds in the country cannot understand a simple text.

COPENHAGEN: Worried by a “reading crisis”, Denmark’s government will eliminate its sales tax on books, looking to get more citizens buying them, the culture minister said today.

The Scandinavian country’s 25% tax on books is currently the highest in Europe, and stands in stark contrast with countries such as Britain that charge no sales tax on book purchases.

“We need to do all we can to fix this reading crisis that has unfortunately spread in recent years,” culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt told news agency Ritzau, announcing the government’s budget bill would propose eliminating the sales tax on books.

Tags:booksCultureDenmarkEuropegovernmentJakob Engel-SchmidtPoliticsReadingRitzautax


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