From July 1, 2015, sauna visits will only be taxed at 7% if there is a doctor's prescription - all other sauna visits must be taxed from July 1
Multiple tickets and annual passes for sauna visits must be taxed from July 1, 2015, unless they have been used up.
As already reported in many media, from July 1, 2015, sauna visits will only be taxed at 7% if there is a doctor's prescription. All other sauna visits that are not specifically prescribed by a doctor will have to be taxed from July 1.
As the "normal" VAT rate is currently 19%, an additional 12% must be paid for sauna use not consumed by 01.07.2015. In concrete terms, this means that for annual fees, the ½ annual fee must be taxed at 12%.
Nothing will change for studio operators who have integrated saunas into their fitness or course program contracts anyway, as they already had to pay 19% VAT on the entire service.
It remains to be seen whether the end consumer, who bought the annual pass in good faith, will play along. It will also be interesting to see what taxes will have to be paid on saunas operated by DOSB clubs. There will certainly be a lower tax treatment for the same service as in commercial fitness and health studios or saunas.
Source: F&G
Published on: 7 July 2015