New rules for the New Year

Thursday 31 December 2009

Several of new pieces of legislation come into effect on January 1, including tougher laws on child pornography and changes to health insurance coverage, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday.

The law covering child porn is to be tightened up and prison sentences of up to four years are being introduced for people who watch child porn on the internet and pay for it by credit card.

In employment law, companies who take on jobless widows and widowers are entitled to up to €6,500 in premium reductions while employer unemployment, invalidity and healthcare premiums for the under-23s have been scrapped altogether.

Taxes

The low (6%) value-added tax rate is to be extended to painting and plastering work carried out on homes older than two years, as well as domestic cleaning, digital educational information, tuktuk taxis and bike taxis.

Taxes are also being reduced on green cars and inheritances but fines will go up between 3% and 4%, the paper says.

And all companies, legal entities and self-employed people must register their operations with their local chamber of commerce or face a fine of up to €18,500.

There are also changes to the basic health insurance package which all health insurance companies have to offer by law. For example, treatment for children with severe dyslexia is being extended to cover nine-year-olds and cancer sufferers can now claim up to €383 to cover the cost of a wig.

© DutchNews.nl

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