High court upholds councils’ right to tax dogs

Local authorities are not discriminating against dog owners by making them pay a tax for keeping their pet, the High Court said on Friday. After all, it costs councils money to keep public places and special areas for dogs clean, the court said in its ruling. In addition, the size of the dog tax does not need to reflect the actual cost, the court said.

The case was taken to the High Court by Sittard-Geleen council after a lower court ruled the dog tax was discriminatory.

According to the national statistics office CBS, councils expect to raise €64m in dog taxes this year.

Britain, France and Spain have already abolished the dog tax, news agency ANP said.

This opens legal ways for city councils to tax owners of animals if they cause costs to the community, e.g. roaming goats, cows and donkeys on the BES islands.