Ohio Governor Considers Sales Tax On High School Sporting Events

TribToday.com

http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/583501/Taxed-at-the-gate.html?nav=5024

When hearing about Gov. John Kasich’s new tax proposal that would in effect charge a sales tax on admission to high school sporting events, the reactions by local athletic directors were all the same.

If passed, this could have a hugely negative effect on already struggling high school sporting events.

On Monday, Kasich proposed to cut the state’s overall sales-tax rate while also putting the lower 5 percent sales tax on a new list of activities, which includes taxing on admissions to all levels of sports from professional to high school. Also included on the list are admissions to cultural events, amusement parks, billiard parlors and bowling alleys to name a few.

“There is a big difference between entertainment that is in business for profit and a school system,” Warren G. Harding athletic director Paul Trina said.

Howland athletic director Ron McCleary concurred with Trina’s thoughts, but even took it a step further.

“The venues are not the same between pro and high school,” McCleary said. “The professional level is controlled by corporate money, we don’t have that kind of backing. It’s difficult to stay in the black as it is with the way the gate receipts are right now, let alone something like this happening.”

Both McClearly and Trina agreed that schools are struggling to lure people to sporting events under the current ticket prices. The athletic directors are worried what it would do to future gate receipts if this passes.