A German court has ruled that tantric massage delivers sexual pleasure and should be subjected to the same tax levy as brothels and swinger clubs. A court in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart on Thursday rejected the studio owner's argument that although Tantric massages involved the genital area, its aim was to provide holistic well-being and self-awareness.

In its ruling, the court pointed out that a studio offering Tantric massages falls under the same tax levy as businesses "granting of opportunity for sexual pleasures."

The court's order followed a complaint by the Tantric massage studio owner, who said he had been billed a total of 840 euro ($1,100) for January and February 2012 under a local "amusement tax," calculated based on the size of the business.

Approving of the decision taken by the authorities to levy the tax, the court in its ruling said, because massages including the genital area could be booked for a fee, the business fits the requirements of the so-called amusement tax.

"The question of whether the massages offered are focused on sexual pleasures or not, however, is not relevant to the case," the court statement said.

The Tantric Massage studio owner can appeal aganist the court's ruling. Tantric massage studios which provide a type of full-body massage is performed according the rituals rooted in Tantric tradition, have been growing in Germany.