Egypt's belly dancer Fifi Abdou sues government over 'tips'

Government should not tax customers' gratuity to belly dancers, performing artist Fifi Abdou tells court

Ahram Online, Saturday 3 Nov 2012

Send

Egyptian famous belly dancer Fifi Abdu (Photo: Al-Ahram)

Egypt’s prominent belly dancer Fifi Abdou has asked the Egyptian Taxation Authority (ETA) to reduce a LE15.5 million ($2.5 million) tax bill levied against her claiming that the government should not count "customer tips" to belly dancers as part of night clubs’ profits, Ahram Arabic-language news website reported on Saturday.

Abdou’s defense team has brought a suit against the ETA to lower taxes imposed on her from 1999 until 2004. The team argued if tips (Noqta) that Abdou received from her night club’s visitors are not counted as taxable-income, she would only owe LE2500 for the five year pertiod in question.

A Cairo lower court will listen to legal arguments in the case on 24th November.

The tax authority has estimated Abdou owed LE1.8 million ($294,000) in taxes in 1999 reaching LE3.3 million ($541,000) in 2004.

Abdou, 59, dominated the scene of belly dancing in Egypt for two decades until she retired dancing in 2006 to focus on acting.

She also starred in several films and TV soap-operas since the 1970s.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Ahram Online welcomes readers' comments on all issues covered by the site, along with any criticisms and/or corrections. Readers are asked to limit their feedback to a maximum of 1000 characters (roughly 50 words). All comments/criticisms will, however, be subject to the following code

We will not publish comments which contain rude or abusive language, libelous statements, slander and personal attacks against any person/s.
We will not publish comments which contain racist remarks or any kind of racial or religious incitement against any group of people, in Egypt or outside it.
We welcome criticism of our reports and articles but we will not publish personal attacks, slander or fabrications directed against our reporters and contributing writers.
We reserve the right to correct, when at all possible, obvious errors in spelling and grammar. However, due to time and staffing constraints such corrections will not be made across the board or on a regular basis.

Readers Picks