TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Even as event organizers begin sale of tickets for electronic dance music festivals (EDMs), the government is yet to notify rules to the amended Entertainment Tax Act which authorizes it to effectively endorse tickets on sale for mega entertainment events, organized in the state of Goa.
The Department of Commercial taxes has disclosed that the rules could be out any time and implementation would be done ahead of the upcoming major EDM events scheduled this December.
While Percept has already sold tickets online, Viacom 18 began its online event launch and sale of tickets from Mumbai Tuesday.
Event organizers of Supersonic paid the event fee here on Monday and is hoping to reach out to at least four crore fans across the globe through electronic and radio campaigns in a bid to surpass Percept’s online ticket sale presently estimated at around 12,000.
While presently both event organizers, Percept and Viacom have been selling tickets online, the Department of commercial taxes claims that it will collect entertainment tax when the organizers submit their records for assessment after the show. Provisions under the Act however require monthly submission of details on ticket sales which the department says it will seek from the organizers shortly.
A commercial taxes department official said, “This year we will keep a close watch on sale of tickets for the EDMs,” adding further that teams will be deployed at EDM venues where it would be able to physically verify tickets sold at the venue entrance.
Officials say that even though Sunburn has already sold tickets online more than a month ago it is still yet to get an assessment on how many have been sold through bookmyshow.com.
The Department of commercial taxes has also disclosed that event organizers have to submit all details on sale of consumables and beverages for the purpose of levying VAT.
This year the Department of commercial taxes is eyeing Rs 100 crore from entertainment tax if all three EDMs are held in Goa in addition to other events in the State.
“Major events bring in at least Rs one crore each by way of entertainment tax and an additional Rs 25 lakh plus from VAT,” said top department of commercial taxes official.
Viacom 18 has decided to host its EDM for four days between December 26 to 29 as against its earlier plan to have the event from December 26 to 30, say sources.
