Members jeff42 Posted February 21, 2014 Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 The city of Scranton PA wants to tax people for entertaining. I guess I wont be trying to get any more gigs in Scranton...from www.the570.com HEADPHONESAssorted Declarations from Editor Tom GrahamThe Whack TaxIf you are a musician playing a gig in the city of Scranton any time soon, be wary: Scranton wants a cut of the money and considers itself part of the act … the over-served yet ineffective tambourine player if you will. It’s not just musicians who are in the city’s crosshairs — it’s actors, directors, magicians, dancers and any other artists who may be involved in what is being generalized as forms of amusement.If you’re caught amusing someone in the City of Scranton, it’s going to cost you.What is amusement? According to a notice sent to Scranton business owners by the Department of Licensing, Permits and Inspections dated Jan. 10, 2014, the amusement tax (passed on Dec. 10, 2012) allows the city “to impose a 5-percent tax upon privilege of attending or engaging in non-exempt amusements, including every form of entertainment, diversion, sport, recreation and pastime, requiring all persons, partnerships, associations and corporations conducting places of amusements; imposing duties and conferring powers upon the Treasurer of the City of Scranton; prescribing the method and the manner of collecting the tax imposed by the ordinance; and imposing penalties for the violation thereof.”Exactly 5-percent of what? 5-percent of every ticketed event (Hi there Pavilion at Montage Mountain. You’re technically in Scranton and they want your money too!) and 5-percent of cover charges collected at the doors of local clubs, bars and performance spaces.If you visit some of these Scranton venues, you can’t help but feel for owners who are fighting an increasingly difficult battle against the city when it comes to providing entertainment for their patrons. Not only do the businesses have to fork over money to the city in the form of a yearly entertainment licence — which is not common practice — but must pay substantial licensing fees to The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) which collects performance royalties on behalf of the songwriters and publishers they represent.Scranton wants a cut of the price of admission from an event that hopes to amuse and entertain. The irony is that most of us look to suspend a portion of our day-in-day-out struggles of living on the fringe of ridiculous laws and licenses through entertainment. If a band makes $400 at the door on a busy Friday night, the owner is being asked to take $20 away from the band’s share and set it aside to help save the city from their financial woes and worries. Maybe $20 seems like a lot or maybe it seems like not enough, but it’s the principle. The city wants another piece of someone else’s pie without taking the time to look down at its own plate.If things continue to spiral in this direction, the city and its administrators may continue to make even more ridiculous demands — like asking people not to park on the streets of downtown Scranton on Valentine’s night so it can devise a plan to properly remove accumulated snowfall from its streets and sidewalks.I spoke with Pat Hinton, the recently appointed director of Department of Licensing, Permits and Inspections about the letter sent out to Scranton business owners on Jan. 10 and although he is listed as the writer of the letter and his number is listed under the contact information, he was unaware such a letter exists. He did assure electric city and diamond city that he would send us information as it becomes available, hopefully leading to further conversations about the amusement tax, the city’s policy and the businesses and artists it will affect.I wouldn’t mind giving a cut of the cover charge here and there to help Scranton, but the city should have to at least play a song or two — or maybe even help carry in the drum set and speakers.That would be amusing.Here’s what’s in my headphones this week: Cornershop When I Was Born for the 7th Time (Warner Bros.) 1997 LINK TO THE Original Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted February 21, 2014 Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 Next up: a tax on disappointment, ambivalence and disgust. Is there anything governmetn won't tax? The funny part is, they see a source of revenue, think they can tax it, and the activity will continue on along as if it were never taxed, guaranteeing them X number of dollars a year. ECON 101: You subsidise what you want more of and tax what you want less of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nijyo Posted February 21, 2014 Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 Is there any tax Americans won't complain about as if it was the end of the world and Democracy As We Know It , is my real question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted February 21, 2014 Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 (edited) Maybe so Niyo but doesn't mean anyone should put up with what is clearly a stupid overreach. It sucks. WTF?? Public coffers get empty so what better place to look for spare change than those independently wealthy playboy musicians? That kind is much better represented on musician's internet forums than out there in the trenches. I pay FICA + some additional tax on gig income. That's enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted February 21, 2014 Author Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 Nijyo wrote: Is there any tax Americans won't complain about as if it was the end of the world and Democracy As We Know It , is my real question. I complain when its stoopid... this is stoopid. Scranton doesnt have the best music scene right now but they are working on it but this 5% tax to the city if you are entertaining anyone is just silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted February 21, 2014 Members Share Posted February 21, 2014 Nijyo wrote: Is there any tax Americans won't complain about as if it was the end of the world and Democracy As We Know It , is my real question. I wouldn't complain about all the excessive, high and overreaching taxes either if I didn't have to pay them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted February 28, 2014 Members Share Posted February 28, 2014 A 5% surcharge (tax) on paid admission fees (a/k/a "tickets") doesn't seem like it is too hard to figure out how to implement or administer. Five percent of every (paid) movie theater ticket; no problem. Same for sporting events (including high school games). It isn't rocket surgery, IMO. So what about cover charges, where the band plays for the door? A $5 cover charge ( which the band gets) turns in to a $5.25 cover charge; I guess the doorman has to know how to make change now. Too complicated? No cover charge at the door (yea!) but drink prices go up by 25 cents, and now the doorman just checks IDs and has a counter clicker thingy. As to watching your city council meetings, I assume that you don't have to buy a ticket to watch the news.... Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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