Salzburg brothel offers free sex in tax protest

The Kronen Zeitung tabloid reports that the news “has spread like wildfire, with punters lining up to get inside”. Salzburg’s “red light district king” Hermann ‘Pascha’ Müller, who owns the well-known Pascha brothel, told the paper that he no longer wants to be “the tax office’s pimp”.

German-born Müller told the Kronen Zeitung that he’s already had to “turn away hundreds of disappointed customers” as he has had a full house since the "summer special" went on offer.

The stunt has been great publicity for him and he says that he plans to continue it for four to eight weeks. Drinks are on the house and Müller says that he is paying the prostitutes’ usual hourly rate out of his own pocket.

"In the last decade I have paid taxes of almost €5 million,” Müller said. “The problem is, the tax office wants more and more, and they are not cracking down on illegal street and apartment prostitution.”

He said that the summer special would be offset by any profits made in his other establishments, and that Pasha would not be liable for any tax during the special offer.

He complained that officials come to check up on the business at Pascha every 14 days. “They allow me no room for manoeuver.” He told the newspaper that he rejected any allegations that he is involved in tax evasion or human trafficking.