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The Newsroom - 2002 |
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Amusement tax weighed
June 24, 2002 - Taxpayers could be facing a blockbuster add-on to their
$8.50 movie ticket or the DVDs, videos and games they pick up for the family's
weekend viewing.
An amusement tax is being analyzed by the Nevada Taxpayers Association as a way
to raise revenue from people who have the discretionary spending to go to
movies, concerts, nightclubs and some sporting events.
Carole Vilardo, president of the taxpayers group, is preparing recommendations
approved by her board to the Nevada Task Force on Tax Policy that will include a
proposed amusement transactions tax.
The task force is studying ways to remedy a state fiscal crisis by broadening
the tax base and stabilizing the current system. Since 75 percent of Nevada's
general fund comes from sales and gaming taxes, the state is vulnerable to lower
revenues during economic downturns.
Vilardo said her group analyzed a 3.7 percent amusement tax - which could be
used to replace the existing casino entertainment tax - in an effort to broaden
the tax base.
The 10 percent casino amusement tax, an add-on to the gaming tax covering
admissions to live entertainment events in most gaming properties, generated $58
million in the last fiscal year.
A 3.7 percent amusement tax - which would be applied to a wider range of
activities - would generate $63 million. But if that tax were assessed at the
same 10 percent as the current casino entertainment tax, it would generate $181
million a year.
Bill Bible, president of the Nevada Resort Association, said he would have to
see the specific proposal before determining whether the casino industry would
support such a change.
"It is a proposal that warrants the appropriate study and analysis," Bible said. |
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Vilardo said the proposal makes good tax sense, in that people who typically
take part in the activities that would be subject to the new tax could afford to
pay it.
"It is a progressive tax in that the poorest residents spend very
little of their money on amusements," Vilardo said.
The average Nevada family spends $560 a year renting and going to
movies and attending concerts and events.
The amusement tax would be aimed more squarely at tourists, who
annually outnumber residents 23-to-1 and who would be taxed for
sightseeing tours, entrance to cabarets and other entertainment
activities targeting visitors.
The proposed amusement tax would apply to all venues with 2,700 or
more seats, including the Thomas & Mack Center. However, all high
school and college sporting events would be exempt.
Jeremy Aguero, an economist for Applied Analysis of Las Vegas, has
prepared an analysis of the amusement tax for Vilardo's group. He is
also chairing the technical working group assisting the tax task
force.
Aguero said an amusement tax would broaden the tax base because of
its wider implementation.
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Article Copyright ©: E. Neff, Las Vegas Sun |
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