Meters-long banners to protest against VAT increase for books, sports on Budget Day

Various organizations from the culture, sport, and book sectors protested on Tuesday against the proposed increase in VAT rates. They rolled out a several-meter-long receipt near the route the royal procession will take on Budget Day. They are doing this to show what the financial implications of the VAT increase will be.

The first 20-meter-long banner was hung on Tuesday morning from the roof of the Huis van Het Boek Museum. Present at the unveiling were writer Splinter Chabot, sailor Marit Bouwmeester, ADO Den Haag club director Natascha van Grinsven-Admiraal, and Thomas Burning, secretary of The Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ).

D66 leader Rob Jetten, GroenLinks-PvdA politician Mohammed Mohandis, and Ines Kostic of the Partij voor de Dieren were also present. While the Glass Carriage is driving through The Hague with King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and Princess Amalia in it, a second banner will be hung at the museum Escher in the Palace.

According to organizations, a VAT increase will have a “significant negative impact” on wellbeing, prosperity, reading skills, and employment. “Every Dutch person will feel the VAT increase in their wallet. Whether you love museums, visit concerts, play sports, read books, or have a subscription to a newspaper, everything will be more expensive,” said Astrid Weij, director of Kunsten ’92 and one of the initiators of the campaign #geenhogerbtw, which translates to no higher VAT. “This will lead to people being forced to quit while these businesses help our wellbeing.”

Weij added that it will also have negative consequences for the sector. “In the long term, this will cost society much more than it brings in.”

All the interest organizations from culture, sport, catering, and media met at the beginning of June and devised the campaign #geenhogerbtw. They feared that the increase would lead to higher prices and put the accessibility of sports, books, culture, and hotels under pressure.

PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB announced in the coalition agreements to raise the VAT on cultural goods and services to 21 percent from nine percent.