A company set up to run brothels in Utrecht has applied to the tax office for a special ruling to set up a pension fund for prostitutes, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday.

The company, named Freya, says footballers and prostitutes both do heavy work and so should be treated equally in terms of pensions.

Footballers can save up to €5,000 tax free a month to put into a pension fund for when they are no longer physically able to play. Prostitutes should be given the same rights to do this, board member and lawyer Wil Post told the Volkskrant.

Saving schemes

Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands and prostitutes are supposed to register at the chamber of commerce and pay tax.

‘There are all sorts of expensive programmes to help them but they would be better off saving instead,’ Post said. She is in talks with the tax office about the plan but has not yet heard if it will be accepted.

Freya is hoping to run brothels in Utrecht and has applied for a city council licence. This summer the council closed all the city’s red light district windows and is working on developing a new location.