Post navigation

Prev: (02/19/13) | Next: (02/19/13)

Neumos rallies the troops to ‘abolish the dance tax’

Last week, CHS reported on Century Ballroom’s upcoming fundraiser to help the venue cover a $90,000 tax penalty levied for non-payment of the state’s controversial “dance tax.” The management behind Capitol Hill clubs Neumos, Barboza and Moe Bar Tuesday sent out this call for support for a bill that would kill the tax — a move that could help keep clubs out of trouble with the Olympia tax man in the future.

ABOLISH THE DANCE TAX!– PLEASE HELP PASS BILL 5613 –

The ‘Opportunity to Dance Tax’ was originally put in place in the 1980s as a tax on aerobics studios, jazzercise classes and other recreational activities. The tax has never been applied to businesses like ours in previous years, and now multiple clubs throughout Washington are facing severe financial setbacks based on the reconciliation of retroactive tax bills for allowing attendees the ‘opportunity to dance’ in their venues.

If this Dance Tax goes in to effect ticket prices will be forced to increase 10%
as it will be levied on the total ticket fee.

 
There is now a new fast moving effort led by State Senator Ed Murray who has introduced Bill 5613 that will solve this issue if approved.
 
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Please write Senator Andy Hill and fellow committee members today to share your support for Bill 5613 to pass at the scheduled hearing taking place this
Thursday, November 21st.
 
Find your legislative district here to contact committee members now:
  http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/WM/Pages/MembersStaf 
 
For more information on the consequences of the Dance Tax visit: 

neumos.com/abolish-the-dance-tax-pass-bill-5613

UPDATE: Yes, beware the typo — the Neumos bulletin should note a February 21st hearing — not November.

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

5 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Shteevie
11 years ago

November 21, 2013 is a long way out. Either the date given here about the hearing is wrong, or awareness 7 months in advance of the hearing will have died down.

jseattle
jseattle
11 years ago

Yeah, thanks — meant to note their typo. The hearing is this week.

Ernest Tee Bass
11 years ago

Is that Kevin Bacon from Footloose or just meant to look like him. I’m not a serious dancer anymore but a dance tax is going too far.

CentralCinema
11 years ago

I think the worst part of this tax is that they are leaning on dance places to suddenly come up with back taxes for a tax that had never applied to them before. This is a life wrecking burden for small businesses. It would be a different story if they said from this day forward we need to start collecting this tax in this way. To blindside businesses with years of back taxes is just mean. It also doesn’t help the local economy any by dropping a bomb like this.

George
11 years ago

Agree completely …and tax all cover charges, not just dance related. Be fair oh damned tax collectors.