Tantric massages are now subject to 'sex tax'

Johannesburg: A local court in Germany has ruled that as Tantric massages deliver sexual pleasure they are subject to the same tax levied on brothels and swinger clubs. The administrative court in southwestern German city of Stuttgart said that a studio offering the massages falls under the same tax levied on businesses that provide the "granting of opportunity for sexual pleasures", News24 reported.

The decision came after a complaint was registered by the owner of a massage studio who had been billed a total of 840 euros for January and February 2012 under a local ' amusement tax'. The studio owner had argued that the massage is aimed at providing holistic well-being and self-awareness and though "the genital area is involved during the massage, the main purpose of the treatment is not sexual pleasure".

Tantric massage is a type of full-body massage performed according to a ritual rooted in Tantric tradition.