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Press Release: State Rep. Eric Burlison Introduces Bill to Eliminate Wrongful Tax on Fitness

Missouri House of Representatives
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Dec. 3, 2014

 

 

CONTACT:  Rep. Eric Burlison

573-751-0136

 

     

State Rep. Eric Burlison Introduces Bill to Eliminate Wrongful Tax on Fitness

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, wants to protect Missouri taxpayers from what he believes is an overly-broad interpretation of the state’s entertainment tax. Today, he filed a bill to exempt activities such as fitness and yoga classes from an entertainment tax he says was clearly intended for items such as tickets for sporting events and amusement parks.

The bill filed by Burlison would update state statutes dealing with sales taxes on entertainment or athletic events and reverse decisions made by the Missouri Department of Revenue that negatively impact small businesses throughout the state.

“Individual Missourians and their families pursue these activities for their fitness and well-being, as part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Rep. Burlison.  “Faced with rising health care costs, personal decisions by Missourians to stay healthy and fit shouldn’t be limited by bureaucrats stretching tax laws well beyond their original purpose. We have a duty to act so small business owners and individual taxpayers don’t pay the price for bureaucratic overreach.”

The department’s use of the statute has expanded over recent years:  workout programs; arts and craft studios; fitness classes or pilates classes; sponsorship of animals at zoos, etc.  Over the last decade, the Missouri Supreme Court has reviewed the statute in at least two significant cases:  Wilson’s Total Fitness Center v. Director of Revenue (2001) and Michael Jaudes Fitness Edge v. Director of Revenue (2008).  This June, in PF Golf, LLC v. Director of Revenue, the court once again ruled that the Department of Revenue had inaccurately applied the tax.

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