Concerned about a “reading crisis,” the Danish government plans to abolish its sales tax on books in an effort to encourage more citizens to purchase them, as stated by the culture minister on Wednesday.
Denmark currently imposes a 25-percent tax on books, the highest in Europe, which sharply contrasts with nations like Britain that do not levy any sales tax on book sales.
“We must do everything possible to address this reading crisis that has regrettably emerged in recent years,” Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt informed the news agency Ritzau, revealing that the government’s budget proposal would include the removal of the sales tax on books.
This initiative is projected to cost the state approximately 330 million kroner ($51 million) annually.
A recent education report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised concerns in Denmark, indicating that 24 percent of Danish 15-year-olds struggle to comprehend a simple text, an increase of four percentage points over the past decade.
The publishing sector in Denmark has advocated for the tax reduction, asserting in a May report that the government must “ensure access to physical books for all Danes – both children and adults.”
