Starting March 16, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association has taken a drastic decision to shut down theatres across the state to demand a reduction in the entertainment tax levied by the state government.
A source close to the Tamil Nadu Theater’s Association told Silverscreen, “There will surely be a meeting with the authorities concerned to demand and exclude the charges which are applied in the name of entertainment tax. States like Kerala has only Goods and Services Tax (GST) and no other entertainment tax. They removed such charges before implementation of the GST.”
The Tamil Nadu government charges 8 per cent as local body tax, apart from the theatre charges, in addition to the GST, which ranges between 18 and 28 per cent depending on the ticket rates. Last year in July, theatres in the state shut down due to the 30 per cent increase in local body taxes in addition to the GST rates levied upon theatre owners.
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With no new Tamil films releasing this month due to the ongoing dispute between the producers and the Digital Service Providers, this decision taken by the theatre owners further complicates matters. According to The New Indian Express, Chennai may not join the strike. A source told the daily that theatres, including multiplexes, will not be shut in Chennai, if the strike is enforced.
Distributor Tiruppur Subramaniam told Silverscreen that their association have sought an appointment with Chief Minister E Palanisami. “We have raised our concerns with the government and depending on how the talks go, we will take a call on the strike. Our aim is to reduce the prices of tickets and it’s a collective decision taken by various associations across the state,” he said.