Berlin to tax tourists’ dogs

BERLIN, Germany – Tourists coming to Berlin will have to pay more tax if they bring their dog.

Since January 1st, visitors booking rooms in the capital have been paying extra tax on their stay.

Now, this levy will include dogs as well as humans, the city’s finance authorities confirmed, according to the Berliner Morgenpost.

Tax authorities told the newspaper on Saturday that the levy included dogs, but it is not clear how much extra tourists will be charged for bringing their pets to Berlin.

The current city tax is five percent of the net cost of the room and is collected by the room provider as part of the bill.

Guide dogs will be exempt, as are any overnight stays done for business – with or without a four-legged friend.

The room tax for humans, which is already in place in tourist hotspots across the world, is expected to bring in an extra €25 million a year for the capital city – half of which will be fed back into Berlin’s tourist industry.

But the tax has proved controversial, with opponents claiming smaller hotels will be hit because they are often not in a position to increase prices.

German hotelier’s association (DEHOGA) has filed a complaint against the initial levy, but are yet to comment on it being extended to dogs.