The SNP are “seriously considering” the introduction of a new tax that could be applied to tickets of popular artists such as Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.
Under Humza Yousaf’s plans fans of the music stars would be required to pay a levy when attending stadium gigs to support the country’s small and medium-sized venues.
SNP Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has said he would consider the tax amid fears over the future of arts funding in Scotland.
Robertson laid bare his interest in the tax after being quizzed in Holyrood by Green MSP Mark Ruskell who suggested that the introduction of just a £1 levy on every ticket could help raise over a million pounds a year.
Humza Yousaf
PA
The SNP minister went on to say that “new thinking” was needed in regard to arts funding in the country.
“We have gone through a pivot point during the pandemic; there has been a change in social behaviours and there has been extreme distress in the arts and cultural sector,” Robertson said.
“We acknowledge that and we have tried to support the sector through that difficult period.
“The levy proposal is worthy of further consideration.”
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Humza Yousaf speaking in Holyrood
Scottish ParliamentThe movement to place a £1 tax on mega-gig tickets began after a UK-wide campaign by Music Venue Trust (MVT) to save the nation’s struggling music industry.
MVT claims Scottish venues have been “disproportionately” affected by funding with 120 grassroots venues having closed this year alone.
Supporters of the plan suggest that the additional cost attached will go unnoticed by most music-goers as tickets for mega-gigs normally start with an eye-watering price tag.
However, critics have claimed that the tax will make costly outings even harder on the wallets of lower-income Scots.
Taylor Swift is due to tour in Murrayfield in Edinburgh for three dates in June.
ReutersTaylor Swift is due to tour in Murrayfield in Edinburgh for three dates in June.
Prices for her Eras tour tickets start from around £109.40 but appear online for as much as £3,500.
The proposed plans come as Yousaf scrambles to fill a £1.5billion black hole in spending plans.
To plug the deficit, the SNP are planning to introduce an extra income tax band but critics warn this may not be enough and public services could be axed as Holyrood laid out its budget for the Government’s £60billion annual spending.
Tories have accused Yousaf of trying to “tax his way out” of trouble after “astonishing mismanagement” in Scotland.