Imagine you buy a concert ticket for $50, and it comes with a 9% Live Entertainment Tax (LET)—a little extra you pay to the state. Now, let’s say something comes up, and you can’t go, so you decide to sell it to a friend or through a resale site. Under current rules, that’s it—you’ve already paid the tax, and you’re done. But a new bill in Nevada, SB 431, wants to change that in a way that’s got a lot of people, including Nevada Policy, worried. Here’s why.
Double Taxation on Every Ticket
At its heart, SB 431 is about taxing the same ticket over and over again. If this bill passes, every time that ticket gets resold or even transferred, the state would slap another 9% tax on it—even though no extra services are being provided. So, a $50 ticket could end up costing way more by the time it reaches the person who actually uses it.
That’s not fair; it’s double (or triple!) taxation on the same thing. It’s like paying sales tax on a used car every time it switches owners—nobody would stand for that.
Higher Prices for Sports Fans
And it gets worse. Right now, Nevada’s pro sports teams—like the Raiders and the Golden Knights—don’t have to charge this tax on tickets. That keeps prices reasonable for loyal fans who might share or sell tickets among friends. SB 431 would end that exemption, jacking up costs for everyone. Families who love going to games could find themselves priced out, just because they swapped tickets with a neighbor.
A Nightmare for Regular Sellers
Then there’s the headache for regular people trying to sell a few tickets. Say you’re a parent who bought season passes but can’t make every game, or a fan who snagged concert tickets before life got in the way. If you sell more than 200 tickets a year or make over $100,000 (which sounds like a lot, but could happen with pricey events), SB 431 would force you to track every sale, collect taxes, and send them to the state—or deal with complicated legal agreements to pass the buck. That’s a ton of paperwork and stress for someone who’s not running a business, just trying to unload some seats they can’t use.
Pricing Families Out of Fun
The bigger picture? This bill could make live events—like sports, concerts, and shows—harder to enjoy for everyday Nevadans. The resale market gives us flexibility: if you can’t go, someone else can, often at a fair price. But with extra taxes and rules piling on, ticket prices will climb, and fewer people will be able to afford them. That’s bad news for a state like Nevada, where entertainment isn’t just fun—it’s a huge part of our economy and culture.
A Call for Fairness
In short, SB 431 hits regular folks where it hurts: taxing us twice on the same ticket, burying us in red tape, and making it tougher to enjoy the events and teams we love. Nevada Policy and others are asking lawmakers to rethink this and find a fairer way forward. Let’s hope they listen—because Nevada deserves better than this.
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