Hungary wants prostitutes to get a permit and pay taxes

[LaStrega]

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - In an effort to bring prostitutes into the legal economy, officials said Monday that Hungary will allow sex workers to apply for an entrepreneur's permit -- a move that could generate government revenues from an industry worth an estimated $1 billion annually.

article: http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1443364.html

[saltpoint]

1. Two advantages to that plan. One, it's a reliable source of revenue and two,

it'll piss off Jim Dobson.

[NaturalHigh]

Sounds good in theory.

I doubt that it will really cut out all of the illegal street trade (any more than requiring food vendors to get licenses cuts out illegal street trade in that industry), but it will probably raise quite a bit of revenue.

[fenriswolf]

2. our economy could be solved

by legalizing pot and prostitution and taxing the beejesus out of them.

[provis99]

4. taxing it won't work

There will always be an underground economy for vices, even if legalized. Cigarettes are legal in Canada, but when they taxed them, cigarette smuggling became prominent across the American border. Legalization and taxation won't solve anything. If we legalize prostitution for 18+ year olds, all that will mean is either an underground economy shifting to child prostitutes, or importing illegal immigrants to undercut the legal competition. Both are happening in Amsterdam as we write.

[seriousstan]

5. Shhhhhh...your interfering with "the solution".

[rusty quoin]

3. I'm sure government officials, who frequent prostitutes will stop this.