New Arts Tax From Rendell, Legislature
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Artswatch
New Arts Tax From Rendell, Legislature
Peter Dobrin, Inquirer Classical Music Critic
In the late-night deal to end the Pennsylvania state budget stalemate, it seems the arts did not get forgotten.
They got taxed.
Look at this from the Inquirer's coverage:
But sources familiar with details of the agreement confirmed that Rendell successfully pushed to establish a sales tax on "theater, dance, music, and performing arts" tickets - everything from the ballet to Beyoncé - which have been exempted from the levy. The proposal does not tax tickets to movies or sporting events.
Details are few, so we don't want to jump to conclusions.
But, in a state that has spent hundreds of millions (billions?) on sports facilities, Gov. Rendell has chosen to put an additional burden on chamber music, opera and orchestras? At a time when many arts groups are about to face their worst financial year ever, our former Arts and Culture Mayor is going to make life harder for the arts?
Again, we don't know details. How much is the tax - a percentage or flat fee? Does it apply to all ticket prices? Will schools, such as Curtis and Temple and Settlement, have to tax student performances to which they sell tickets? Why performing arts, but, apparently, not museums or other cultural attractions?
And how will arts groups react? Protests? Will the Schuylkill River darken with tea?
One way of looking at this is that Rendell has been a friend to the arts, and now, in true politician form, he figures it's time for the arts to be friend to him.
The other way to look at this is that Rendell, having been the prime cheerleader behind the building of a new Barnes and Kimmel Center, has a special obligation to find additional public ways to fund the operations of these groups. Fund-raising for the Kimmel and the Barnes has soaked up hundreds of millions of dollars - money that arts supporters could use for operations right about now.
A new tax on the arts is the last thing anyone needs - unless Rendell plans to turn around and send the revenue back to the orchestras, museums and theaters of needy Pennsylvania.
I didn't pay tax on my season ticket to the Philadelphia Orchestra and neither will anyone else who buys them now, season or single, before this gets enacted. Too bad all this financial straits talk has overshadowed the contribution that Charles Dutoit is making to the orchestra with his absolute mastery of the orchestra, the rep, and the PO itself. The orchestra never sounded better, IMHO.— LindaGrace1982- Boo hoo. If you're going to a chamber music concert...likely...you can pay 8% tax on the ticket. People pay $100+ for a U2 ticket...and you're concerned about tax on tax on a $30 classical ticket? Classical music's problems have been well-documented in the press...don't blame a tax.— rbpeeple
- The Legislature *should* be taxing tickets at The Linc and Citizen's Bank Park... The residents of the 5-county-area had to help pay 1/3 of the cost. (Actually the ballpark tickets should be free to the taxpayers who coercively paid for the corporate welfare of professional entities which use the stadiums.) Paying tax on classical music tickets is another matter, since the events exist to preserve and present cultural treasures first, and secondarily try to make a profit. How far could this go? There is much great music by Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, or Vaughn-Williams which is rarely heard outside of a liturgical setting. Would, say, a Lutheran Church sponsoring a Bach Cantata in worship service, using a paid orchestra and soloists along with a volunteer choir, charging ticketed admission for the event to offset costs, find itself in trouble with the commonwealth for not paying taxes on the ticketed admission?— factcheck
- Wow. As reported, we don't know the details. But I cannot see taxing tickets to theater, dance, music and performing arts which are created and produced locally. These groups and employees are already contributing to the local tax base in many ways. These local treasures from the very small to the large, well-known organizations are hurting and need all the support that they can get.— mediaking
- Even if Rendell chooses to "send the revenue back" it will be far less than any of these groups could have raised through increased ticket prices. This is just another example of "stealth politics" in Pennsylvania, it seems they like to do things behind closed doors in Harrisburg, especially at night.— jbro101
Comment removed.- The hope is that the tax is not charged on performances made by "not-for-profit" groups, but that's probably wishful thinking. Wonder why they didn't tax movie & sports tickets as well.— MASTERNC
So now you'll need change to go with your singles down at the club?
Peter Dobrin is a classical music critic and culture writer for The Inquirer. Since 1989, he has written music reviews, features, news and commentary for the paper, covering such topics as the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Venice Biennale, expansion of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy declaration in 2011, Philadelphia's evolving performing arts center and the general health of arts and culture.
Dobrin was a French horn player. He earned an undergraduate degree in performance from the University of Miami, and received a master's degree in music criticism from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Elliott Galkin. He has no time to practice today.
