Chamber of Deputies approves postponement of government’s tax reform

The Chamber of Deputies has approved a postponement of part of the government’s tax reform to the post-election year of 2015. The opposition Social Democratic Party negotiated the postponement as a condition for their support of the gambling taxation bill, which is also a part of the government’s tax reform package. The gambling taxation bill was originally approved by the lower house in November but left a loophole for lottery firms to use part of the revenues for charitable projects of their choice. The bill was amended in the Senate which removed the loophole before returning it to the lower house for the final vote. Minister of Finance Miroslav Kalousek said the postponement was merely a symbolic gesture and promised an amendment would be passed to shorten it to the beginning of 2014.