What's happening
This bill raises the tax on all combative sport event ticket sales in New York to 8.5 percent.
Why it matters
Raises the financial burden on event organizers. By increasing the ticket tax to 8.5% (from the previous 3%) for all combative sports events, promoters and venues could see significantly higher tax bills, potentially affecting event profitability and ticket pricing.
Removes the previous tax cap. The old law limited the total ticket tax to $50,000 per match or exhibition; removing this cap means large-scale events (like major pay-per-view fights or stadium shows) could owe much more in taxes, which may influence the decision to host such events in New York.
Creates uniformity across combative sports. The change applies the same tax rate to both professional and amateur events, further standardizing taxation and possibly impacting smaller or grassroots sporting events that may have thinner margins or rely on lower ticket prices.
May impact the competitive landscape. Higher taxes could deter promoters from choosing New York as an event location in favor of states with lower or capped tax rates, potentially affecting local economies, tourism, and New York’s reputation as a host for major sports events.
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Who cares
Professional and amateur boxing, sparring and wrestling event promoters
The bill would raise the tax on ticket receipts from 3% to 8.5% and eliminate the $50,000 per-event cap on that tax.
Event organizers earning digital streaming revenue
The bill would add internet streaming receipts to broadcasting-rights receipts subject to a 3% tax, with a combined $50,000 tax cap per match or exhibition.
New York State tax administrators
The bill would require implementation of the revised taxes immediately upon taking effect and authorize necessary rule changes.
Headline styles
Tax All Fight Ticket Sales
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Tax All Fight Tickets Equally
In Senate Committee · Budget And Revenue · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5593
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 13, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to creating tax parity by imposing an eight and one-half percent tax on all combative sport event ticket sales
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 452 of the tax law, as amended by chapter 32 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
1. On and after October first, nineteen hundred ninety-nine, a tax is hereby imposed and shall be paid upon the gross receipts of every person holding any professional or amateur boxing, sparring or wrestling match or exhibition in this state. Such tax shall be imposed on such gross receipts, exclusive of any federal taxes, as follows:
(a) [three] eight and one-half percent of gross receipts from ticket sales[, except that in no event shall the tax imposed by this paragraph exceed fifty thousand dollars for any match or exhibition];
(b) three percent of the sum of: (i) gross receipts from broadcasting rights, and (ii) gross receipts from digital streaming over the internet, except that in no event shall the tax imposed by this paragraph exceed fifty thousand dollars for any match or exhibition.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxes imposed on and after such effective date. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06479-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.