“The book market is affected, but education is more affected. There is a more awful battle there.” Bookstores talk about VAT increased for books

“The book has started to become almost a luxury,” and “VAT growth is like a nail in a basket,” says Dan Pleșa, one of the founders of Vellant Publishing House, in a Dialogue with Hotnews, in which he also talks about the problems with which the book market is already facing. His concerns are shared by other publishers, as well as bookstores, who talked to Hotnews about the measure of the Bolojan government.

From August 1, books have become more expensive, because VAT increased from 5% to 11%. Thus, Romania has come to be in the first places in the European Union on taxation in this field.

Denmark has the highest percentage – 25%, followed by Finland by 14%. However, there are also European countries that do not put any VAT for books, such as the Czech Republic, Norway and the United Kingdom, shows a recent report made by Danish publishers.

How does VAT increase libraries and publishers? “It appears as a nail in a basket!” Says Dan Pleșa, one of the founders of Vellant Publishing House, in a dialogue with Hotnews. “A few months ago dozens of libraries were closed and there are areas where there are no access to books,” he points out.

“I do not know if we resist!”, Said honestly and directly, the representative of the Ancient EXLIBRIS Bookstore, specialized in books in English, in the dialogue with Hotnews.

“A country that is de-cultural on the passing day”

• Dan Pleșa is one of the founders of Vellant Publishing House, opened in 2007 and specialized in art book, contemporary literature, essay and travelers, as well as the book illustrated for children.

“The growth of VAT in books is a very bad decision, easy to understand and this is because it is the effects of this measure. It will have a negative impact from the reader's point of view, the few readers who still purchase the book,” says Dan Pleșa.

He wonders if his publishing house will be able to promote new authors or books that approach complex ideas, with the new economic challenges.

Dan Pleșa emphasizes that the change in taxation comes after two years in which the publishing house has worked “at the limit”, after, in the last 3-4 years, the prices have increased a lot due to inflation and costs for paper and energy.

“This growth appears as a nail in a basket,” he says about the new VAT, which comes into force on August 1. Then draws attention to the effects that these changes have at national level.

“We are talking about a country that is decommissioning on the day. A few months ago dozens of libraries have been closed and there are areas of Romania where there are no access to books,” he continues.

He points out that this measure will especially affect people with low and medium income, which will have wider effects.

“The book market is affected, but education is more affected! There is a more awful battle there. ”

“I can't tell you for sure if we will resist again”

• Gabriela Hanu is a representative of the Extelibris ancient bookstore, a bookstore in Bucharest, who has books only in English – from classical and contemporary literature to books on gastronomy and albums. Currently, the bookstore has 40,000 titles and over 500,000 products in stock, according to its representatives.

“It will be very harsh. I understand that you need money in the budget, that you want to take from there, from there and from there. But I do not think that helps, because this is less books,” says Gabriela Hanu.

She recalled that the bookstore recently faced problems, announcing, at the end of June, that she closes. Since then, ancient excis has found resources “to stay for a narrower space, with a rent, smaller and fewer employees.”

“I have resisted so far, as much as we resist? That it is not easy. What was 27 years ago (when the bookstore appeared-no) and how the books were looking for, I initially had VAT 0 in books, then the VAT appeared. It was a very strong blow. I understand that they are desperate, but the books should have been around.”

The ancient representative of EXLIBRIS wonders if the bookstore will cope with this “blow” – a six -percent VAT.

“I can't tell you for sure if we will resist. The rules become much tougher. You have products that you only sell in 2-3 years or you will sell them only if you give them at a time and you paid the VAT at total price. So clearly, loss. I gather a loss from there, a loss from there. You have no success. Very difficult. If they wanted to think about the book and culture, it had to put zero VAT. ”

“The Romanian editorial market had even more need for support”

• Loredana Tirziorul is executive director of Brumar Publishing House, an independent publishing house with encyclopedic profile, according to the description on her site.

In the dialogue with Hotnews, Loredana Tirzior says that the tax measure “will not solve the current deficit of the country”, but will affect the book market, which says it is already a small market.

“Taking into account the functional illiteracy and, more than that, the national tendency of mental impoverishment, the VAT growth came when the Romanian editorial market had even more need for support,” says Tirzioru.

She says that the publishing house, which mainly promotes Romanian authors, has already begun to make changes to resist the challenges.

“We are focusing on the book of children and young people, which we have not done so far, and probably translations for this age segment,” she says, specifying that the publishing house hopes that next year will publish at least 50 titles – a reduction half compared to a few years ago.

“The reader will be impoverished, if the book editorial market decreases. (..) For about two years the buyers are complained, from the fairs we found out directly, that the prices are high, but we make efforts to sustain the price/product,” continues the representative of Brumar Publishing.

“For us, a 10% decrease in sales is critical”

• Emma Moldovan and Ana-Maria Lupșa are Bookstory co-founders, an independent bookstore in Cluj.

“Even a seemingly low price increase can discourage buyers, especially in the current economic context. For a bookstore, where each customer matters, a 10-15% decrease in sales can be critical,” said Bookstory co-founders, in a response to Hotnews.

They say that the bookstore already had less and less customers, even if the prices had not yet been increased.

“It is a silent, but real tension. It is not a revolt, but of small renunciations that, over time, can become a sad normality,” say the representatives of the bookstore.

Now, they make plans. But not only for survival, but for “to resist meaning”. “We will do everything for us not to give up what defines us: the passion for the book and the people who love it. Because an independent bookstore is an act of courage, daily. It does not bring huge profits, but meaning.”