NY court finds pole dancing can be taxed

An intermediate pole dancing class at Flirty Girl Fitness in Chicago. (John Gress/REUTERS, file)

Daniel Wiessner, Reuters

ALBANY, N.Y. – Pole dancers might be athletic and artistic but their performances don’t qualify for tax-exempt status under New York law, a state court ruled on Tuesday.

The owners of Nite Moves, an exotic dance club near Albany, New York, had sought to have pole dancing and private lap dances qualified as tax exempt since revenue collected from “dramatic or musical arts performances” is not taxable under state law.

But the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, decided against the club in a 4-3 ruling handed down on Tuesday… Read More