The Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) is gathering signatures at the Colombo International Book Fair 2025 for a petition to reduce the 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) on books. According to the SLBPA, this VAT, along with a 2.5% Social Security Contribution Levy, brings the total tax burden on books to 20.5%, preventing publishers from offering significant discounts. Although the cost of raw materials has gone down, the high tax rate means these savings can’t be passed on to consumers. The association’s attempts to discuss the issue with government officials have been unsuccessful. The petition seeks to make books more affordable for the public.
Source: themorning.lk
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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