The verdict by the German Federal Financial Court has disburden the overtaxes on the industry.
According to the Germany’s leading press organization, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the country officially accepted techno as music and DJs as musicians.
Alongside with the new decision of the German Federal Financial Court, nightclubs will now pay 7% tax on ticket sales instead of 19%. The following details stand out in the decision where dance music events are referred as “concerts”:
- If the main focus of the event in techno and house events are ‘the music performances’ and if the other services provided ‘do not override musical performance’, there is a tax reduction in the entrance fee.
- In cases where the mentioned music performances are held regularly (weekly), DJs at the cabin can give techno and house music performances as concert or concert type of activity.
With the development, media players, mixing consoles and other equipments can also be considered as musical instruments. In the decision, it was important to note that the judges used the words “DJs do not only play the devices that carry the sound from a source to the environment, but also create sound sequences that carry their own characters and perform their own music using various instruments.”
Upon this verdict, the German media commented that as “Federal Financial Court officially declared techno as music and DJs as musicians”.
