Questions in writing concerning new taxes Maastricht
Sincere bench,
We’ve heard of your plan to introduce a new tax on events with more than 5000 attendees. This not only concerns events such as major concerts, but also cinema visits and MVV competitions. It’s a result from the “entertainment fee”, the tax on entertainment, part of the budget for 2020. Party Maastricht Safe voted against. You subsequently postponed the tax measure until 2022 in connection with the corona crisis. Despite the fact that this crisis is still current, you have decided to introduce the measure as of 2022. Surprisingly, the measure does not apply to events in which the municipality itself is involved. You also increase the encroachments tax by 26.45%.
Party Maastricht Safe has the following questions about this:
- Do you agree that the event tax is being introduced at a very unfavorable time, given that the events sector has been hit hard by the corona crisis?
- Do you agree that this may cause events to leave Maastricht, or new initiatives to select a different city?
If not, why not? - Do you agree with us that this mainly affects the “ordinary citizen” because, among other things, cinema visits and a visit to MVV are becoming more expensive?
- The alderman states in Dagblad de Limburger that levying tax on “ourselves” would be strange, and that therefore events in which the municipality is involved are exempt. Do you agree with us that this reasoning does not hold because these event also attracts visitors who can therefore pay taxes?
- Do you agree that by making a distinction here, you are using two standards? After all, when it concerns the municipality itself, suddenly different rules apply. If not, why not?
- Do you agree with us that drastically increasing the encroachments tax, by 26.45%, is a slap in the face for restaurant holders, who are still in heavy weather due to the corona crisis? If not, why not?
- Wouldn’t it have been much smarter to wait with these measures or at least to make the impact much smaller by, for example, increasing the tourist tax again? After all, tourism is a luxury product and tourists will not be hindered by this in their decision to choose Maastricht. If not, why not?
- Do you understand that Party Maastricht Safe must now conclude again that the budget has only been artificially balanced with reserves in recent years and that there were indeed deficits that you are trying to supplement in this way?
On behalf of Party Maastricht Safe,
Alain Garnier
civilian member
Tiny Meese
Group chairman
