Owner of Holiday Park Must Pay 1.5 Million Euros in Tourism Tax
ommel, vrijdag, 1 augustus 2025.
The court in Den Bosch has ruled that Peter Gillis, the owner of the recreational park Prinsenmeer in Ommel, must pay 1.5 million euros in tourism tax for the accommodation of migrant workers between 2014 and 2021. Gillis insisted that the employment agencies should pay this tax, but the court followed the Tax Authority, which had demonstrable evidence of systematic malpractice. According to the court, the amount is even too low, given the incorrectly registered number of overnight stays.
Legal Case Against Peter Gillis
The court in Den Bosch has ruled that Peter Gillis, the owner of the recreational park Prinsenmeer in Ommel, must pay 1.5 million euros in tourism tax for the accommodation of migrant workers between 2014 and 2021 [1][2][3]. Gillis insisted that the employment agencies should pay this tax, but the court followed the Tax Authority, which had demonstrable evidence of systematic malpractice [1][2][3]. According to the court, the amount is even too low, given the incorrectly registered number of overnight stays [3].
Gillis’ Position
In court, Gillis argued that he was not obliged to pay the tourism tax because the employment agencies and housing companies rented the accommodations on the holiday park [1][2][3]. He claimed that the amounts of the assessments were unverifiable, but the court did not agree with this [3]. The assessments are based on data from Gillis’ own administration [3].
Evidence and Investigation
The tax officer sufficiently explained how the amount of the assessments was determined, based on data from Gillis’ administration [3]. It emerged that there was systematic non-registration of the number of overnight stays or the destruction of evidence thereof [3]. As a result, the actual number of overnight stays was likely much higher than what appears in Gillis’ administration [3].
Previous Legal Cases
This case has been ongoing for several years. In 2023, the court ruled that the tax officer had to conduct a new investigation [4]. Gillis’ parent company and director were criminally convicted for systematic malpractice in the municipality of Asten on 15 April 2025 [3][4].
Impact on the Tourism Sector
This decision has significant implications for the tourism sector, especially for parks that accommodate migrant workers. It clearly states that the owners of these parks are responsible for paying the tourism tax, despite their arguments that employment agencies should be liable for this [1][2][3].