Judge Slaps Down Nutter Appeal on Lap Dance Tax

A Philadelphia judge today heard an important appeal from the mayor: The Nutter administration was in court today attempting to allow the city to tax lap dances. Unfortunately for the the mayor, the measure failed. Lap dances are now tax free in Philadelphia!

Last June, the Revenue Department decided that lap dances should be taxable and hit several strip clubs with big tax bills. Delilah’s, Club Risqué and Cheerleaders appealed and were successful: The tax bills — totaling around $900,000 — were thrown out. The city’s amusement tax was ruled too vague to apply to lap dances. Now a judge has upheld that ruling.

George Bochetto, who represented two of the three clubs in the appeal, told KYW 1060 earlier that the “Tax Review Board found the city’s position to be utterly flaccid.” Get it?

The city can appeal all the way to Commonwealth court if it wants, but it looks like City Council will have to pass a separate lap dance tax bill if it wants the extra revenue. Let’s hope it does: Imagine the protests in the gallery for that one!

[KYW 1060]