Pennsylvania govt. to implement a statewide arts & entertainment tax

[Richland123]

Pennsylvania government wants to implement a statewide arts and entertainment tax.

Here is some more information on this issue.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/c...e=most_emailed

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_New...0111253477538/

Here is something we should all rally against.

The new budget deal, which is yet to be officially passed and approved, extends the statewide 6 percent sales tax to arts and entertainment venues and performances.

Theater, dance, music and performing arts were included on the list, as were museums, historical sites, zoos and parks. However, the tax will not apply to sporting events or movie theaters, Arneson said Rendell had "serious reservations" about extending it to those venues.

[Thor]

Join the club. We in RI pay sales tax on ticket sales to
plays, concerts and shows.

The only things not taxed here are various basic grocery items,
excluding HBA and ready to eat items. You pay tax on
toothpaste but not on milk.

A glaring exception to the sales tax is no sales tax on
newspapers here in RI.

The sports events tax exemption was addressed with a
rather confusing statement about a sales tax potentially
breaching local agreements (Philly and Pittsburg). I am not
sure how local agreements can bind the taxpayers of the
state. OTOH, I am totally against taxpayer funding of local
sports teams and facilities such as stadiums when those
activities are not exactly not for profit situations that
generate huge dividends for the owners and players.

[Eric Perry]

PA has not had a budget in the past 80+ days. The only state in the nation to be budgetless. Programs have been cut, many state employees have not received a paycheck in months.

If a sound budget can be passed, which allots adequate funds for education, social services, etc., then I am all for the extended sales tax!

[iamlowsound]

Meh, we have one here and I have never given a second thought about it. We deal with it, but I also live in Canada, everything is taxed.

lowsound

[warnergt]

PA just raised the income tax a few years ago and, now, that is not
enough for them. When will the gov't stop increasing taxes and start
living within its means as the rest of us must do?

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by warnergt

PA just raised the income tax a few years ago and, now, that is not
enough for them. When will the gov't stop increasing taxes and start
living within its means as the rest of us must do?

At this rate, I'm gonna go with never.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Sounds like your typical PA legislature garbage. If you ever look at your taxes, there is a "priviledge to work" tax. Such things are a bit silly... but that's why PA calls itself a "commonwealth" and not a state.

If they want to raise money for their budget, they need to allow alcohol sales in more locations (retail, grocery, and convenience). They also need to add sales tax to clothing, which unless they've changed, they have not had.

6% sales tax isn't a great deal. The local sales tax where I live is 6.75%, and in other localities here, it's 7%. PA is also notorious for overspending on its construction projects. They could easily save money if they took a bit more scrutiny to this area of their budgeting.

Adding more taxes isn't a smart idea, but sometimes can't be helped. PA has shot itself in the foot for years, and the legislature is now paying for it. There isn't enough growth there, and jobs have been sparse for years. It's part of the reason I moved out of the state.

Until PA starts attracting more industry and finds a way to stimulate its growth, there will continue to be economic stagnation. As long as the economic stagnation remains, they'll never find a way to fix their budget shortfalls.

:/rant

Sorry to hear that they're thinking about such things. Hope that the proposed tax fails.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Meh, we have one here and I have never given a second thought about it. We deal with it, but I also live in Canada, everything is taxed.

lowsound

even the tax is taxed

[cassanova]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

PA has not had a budget in the past 80+ days. The only state in the nation to be budgetless. Programs have been cut, many state employees have not received a paycheck in months.

If a sound budget can be passed, which allots adequate funds for education, social services, etc., then I am all for the extended sales tax!

I'm pretty sure California is also budgetless right now too. At least thats what my government professor said.

[Eric Perry]

If so, I stand corrected. In the papers here, it likes to consistently remind us that this is the only state. Who knows though!

[warnergt]

Originally Posted by Auzzie-Phoenix

...There isn't enough growth [in Pennsylvania], and jobs have been sparse for years. It's part of the reason I moved out of the state.

Exactly. Pennsylvania has actually been losing population.
That is why I contend that the Pennsylvania state government should
be shrinking, too. They shouldn't be raising taxes to maintain the
current size of government.

[jaywa]

Here's an idea: instead of taxing more, how about spending less?

I am so glad I don't live in the Northeast but I'm also smart enough to know the tax-and-spend scourge will eventually make its way here to the Midwest as well.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

even the tax is taxed

Yeah, I can't believe that people are complaining about a 6% sales tax. Here in Ontario it is a 8% Provincial sales tax and a 5% Federal sales tax, which they are rolling into one, which doesn't sound bad, but when you consider that you don't pay GST on items like food, it means that the Province will be collecting an extra 5% sales tax on some items.

lowsound

[jgbass]

Originally Posted by Richland123

Pennsylvania government wants to implement a statewide arts and entertainment tax.

Here is some more information on this issue.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/c...e=most_emailed

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_New...0111253477538/

Here is something we should all rally against.

The new budget deal, which is yet to be officially passed and approved, extends the statewide 6 percent sales tax to arts and entertainment venues and performances.

Theater, dance, music and performing arts were included on the list, as were museums, historical sites, zoos and parks. However, the tax will not apply to sporting events or movie theaters, Arneson said Rendell had "serious reservations" about extending it to those venues.

Here in CA, at least LA County, the sales tax is 9.25%

Maybe PA should look at taxing other things besides entertainment, like clothing and other personal items. I always thought it was, well, interesting, PA does not tax this and how people drive from other states to buy clothing, etc.

[JansenW]

Originally Posted by jgbass

Here in CA, at least LA County, the sales tax is 9.25%

Maybe PA should look at taxing other things besides entertainment, like clothing and other personal items. I always thought it was, well, interesting, PA does not tax this and how people drive from other states to buy clothing, etc.

In Alameda county (Bay Area, CA) the sales tax is 9.75%, maybe the highest in the country! It was recently raised 1% to help bail out the state.

Previously taxes were only on products and not services with the exception of necessary items (like food and clothing). To raise revenues they redefine what is a product (like entertainment or fast food) and what is necessary (like clothes). They also go after specific items like alcohol and tobacco (sin taxes). ...And, of course, gasoline.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by jaywa

Here's an idea: instead of taxing more, how about spending less?

Given the current administration this doesn't surprise me.

I am so glad I don't live in the Northeast but I'm also smart enough to know the tax-and-spend scourge will eventually make its way here to the Midwest as well.

Woah, woah, woah. Even though I agree with the spending less bit, let`s not bring politics into this.

That`s a no no in these parts.

[jaywa]

Oops. OK. I went back and edited my original post.

Really hard to separate taxes from politics, though. I mean who decides to raise or add taxes... politicians, right? You can't get very far in this discussion before politics comes in, seems to me.

[xgator4u]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

At this rate, I'm gonna go with never.

^ Never for the win.

[LiquidMidnight]

I heard about this the other day. Not surprising. Of course, we also have an out of control liqour control board that makes its bankroll by arbitrarily going to clubs with live entertainment and fining them through a loophole in the liqour code that any audible sound heard outside the walls is a sound violation. There's no objective db limit. If any sound can be heard outside a club wall that is produced by a loud speaker, it's a violation. That means everything from the television to a live music PA system. With fines over $1000 a pop and three violations being grounds for revoking an establishment's license, we've lost a lot of good live music venues. There is a way to get around this: The local borough can enact its own noise ordinance that overrides the LCB code's. Local police officers aren't going to come to a club unless they get a complaint, which is unlike the PLCB scum who will come bust a club just because they feel like it. It's analogous to a middle school bully shaking down a kid for his milk money.

As others have stated, the state government is kerflugaled here. I'm not a Republican, but PA is evidence of what happens when you tax too much. The business tax is too expensive here and has made PA a very unattractive place for industry. If it weren't for my girlfriend being close to getting tenure at her job, once I finish grad school, I'd blow this popsickle stand and never look back.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by Auzzie-Phoenix

If they want to raise money for their budget, they need to allow alcohol sales in more locations (retail, grocery, and convenience).

Sheetz was trying to get the green light to sell beer at one of their stores, but they ended up not being able to. From what I understand, (and I could be wrong), you can sell alcohol as a store, but you need to have a place as part of your establishment that is not in the same room as the counter for people to consume it...or something like that. The PA liquor code is so screwed up, and you need a Juris Doctor just to understand it. As I stated above, the LCB thugs are the one's who enforce the sound code of bars.