1. Tax increase disastrous for makers

Concerning news for self-employed people in the cultural and creative sector. Raising the low VAT rate from 9% to 21% is one of the tax increases that the government is considering for the year 2024. As a result, not only admission tickets in the cultural and creative sector will become considerably more expensive, but also self-employed persons in the sector. Many cultural institutions and clients are not entitled to deduct VAT. As a result, hiring a freelancer suddenly becomes 12% more expensive without the maker seeing a single euro in return. This is definitely at the expense of promoting Fair Pay and will be disastrous for makers. For the cultural and creative sector alone, this would increase the burden of more than 1 billion euros, according to a Cabinet letter. On the third Tuesday of September (Prinsjesdag), the cabinet will present their definite plans.

The Creatieve Coalitie has raised the issue in the House of Representatives. In a debate, D66 Member of Parliament Steven van Weyenberg stated that he saw absolutely no benefit in this plan. ‘As far as my party is concerned, we are not going to cut back on culture to cover a fiscal task’.

2. Fair Pay is mandatory for cultural institutions that receive money from the BIS.

A first major step towards fair pay has been taken: Fair Pay will be mandatory from 2025 for cultural institutions that receive money from the basic infrastructure (BIS). Secretary of State Gunay Uslu embraces making fair wages mandatory in the sector. The Creatieve Coalitie, and its 44 member organizations, have been pushing for Fair Pay to be made compulsory for years. This is great news for workers in the sector, although the battle is not over yet.