German court rules that sex tax also applies to tantric massage

Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany: Tantric massages provide sexual pleasure and are subject to the same tax levied on brothels and swinger clubs in a German city, a state court said Monday.

The decision by an administrative court in Baden-Wuerttemberg state followed a complaint by Monica Kochs, the owner of a massage parlour who had been billed a total of 840 euros ($1,140) for January and February 2012 under a local "amusement tax" targeting the sex trade in the state capital Stuttgart.