Denmark has announced plans to abolish value-added tax (VAT) on books. The move was made to tackle “reading crisis” in the country. It comes as the government warns that high book prices, driven by a 25% VAT, have discouraged reading.
Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt stated that the move will be included in Denmark’s upcoming budget bill.
“This is something I have worked for as minister of culture because I believe we must do everything possible to end the reading crisis that has unfortunately been spreading in recent years,” Engel-Schmidt said. He added that he was “incredibly proud” to secure such significant funding for culture and reading.
Denmark has been the outlier in taxing books at the full VAT rate. Finland charges 14%, Sweden 6%, and Norway exempts books entirely.
Engel-Schmidt said Denmark’s policy goes beyond affordability, with efforts also being made to expand access through schools and public libraries so more children can discover literature.
According to Denmark’s national statistics office, 8.3 million books were sold in 2023 in stores and online.
With a population of just over six million, children’s picture and activity books topped the sales charts, followed by crime, thriller, and suspense novels.
The culture minister also stressed that the government will monitor the impact of the tax cut. “If abolishing VAT only means publishers’ profits grow and prices do not fall, then we must consider whether it was the right thing to do,” he said.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
