Breckenridge Voters to Consider Tax on Lift Tickets

thetrailboss · Sep 2, 2015

They want to add a tax on lift ticket purchases to pay for transit and parking projects. Vail apparently has agreed to provide the tax revenue if the voters impose the tax by charging skiers and riders:

http://www.saminfo.com/news/town-breckenridge-vote-lift-ticket-tax

Don't tell Vermont of this idea.....

JoeB-Z · Sep 2, 2015

thetrailboss said:
They want to add a tax on lift ticket purchases to pay for transit and parking projects. Vail apparently has agreed to provide the tax revenue if the voters impose the tax by charging skiers and riders:

http://www.saminfo.com/news/town-breckenridge-vote-lift-ticket-tax

Don't tell Vermont of this idea.....

Breckenridge purposely required a bunch of infrastructure tying skiers to the town. The tickets are already astronomical in price. Stick 'em up.

Joe

deadheadskier · Sep 2, 2015

thetrailboss said:
Don't tell Vermont of this idea.....

It already happens. Often times in order for on Mountain projects to get approved, the ski areas have to give something back to the community. The town of Ludlow has negotiated a bunch of stuff out of the Meullers over the years. I remember them having to kick money towards low income housing to receive approval for a huge snowmaking pond project many years back. I know there was also financial concessions associated with the Jackson Gore deal.

While none of that stuff was funded through a lift ticket "tax", I'm sure Okemo recouped the expense with higher ticket and pass pricing.

skiNEwhere · Sep 2, 2015

Heard about this a few weeks ago. Breck has plenty of parking outside the downtown area on airport road. But it requires a free shuttle. Assuming they don't wanna build there. Since I'm an epic pass holder I don't really care about the tax. If you can afford to buy a lift ticket at face value ($139??) then what's 5-6 more dollars?

My only concern is what the price of parking will be for the garage. Right now I can park next to the gondy for only $5 on the weekdays ($12 weekend/holiday), which isn't too bad. I really hope it doesn't turn into Vail where the parking is $25/day.

x10003q · Sep 2, 2015

I recently bought 3 anytime tickets online from Stratton. The advertised price was $169 plus tax. I paid $180.83. I have never seen the tax as a separate line.

steamboat1 · Sep 2, 2015

Pay tax every year on my K pass, 7% I believe. Pass was $449 came out to about $480 with tax. I think it was when ASC owned K they charged tax separate from the lift ticket price for a year or so. It was rediculous. Say the ticket was $60 they'd charge $62.37 or something stupid like that.

prsboogie · Sep 2, 2015

I think they should just have an all in price. Its like goddamn ticketmaster and live nation! 40 for the ticket then another 12 in fees!! Let the mountains do the work and give the TOTAL price when you advertise ans sell.

steamboat1 · Sep 3, 2015

thetrailboss said:
Don't tell Vermont of this idea.....

Been doing it for years already, starting in 2002 I believe. It's called the Local Option Sales Tax. 1% of all sales (tickets, merchandise, etc.) goes to the local town.

http://www.state.vt.us/tax/pdf.word.excel/legal/tb/TB37.rev03062009.pdf

As I stated above my season pass was taxed at 7%. 6% of that is state sales tax & 1% is the local option sales tax which in my case went to the town Killington. In the case of daily lift tickets it's just included in the price already & not charged separately but you most certainly are paying it.

steamboat1 · Sep 3, 2015

deadheadskier said:
While none of that stuff was funded through a lift ticket "tax", I'm sure Okemo recouped the expense with higher ticket and pass pricing.

Oh it most certainly was funded with a lift ticket tax. See my previous post.

deadheadskier · Sep 3, 2015

steamboat1 said:
Oh it most certainly was funded with a lift ticket tax. See my previous post.

I'm aware of VTs local option tax. Ludlow does not participate. Most resort towns in the state do.

http://www.state.vt.us/tax/businesslocaloption.shtml

The projects I discussed in Ludlow were not funded with local option taxes. They were direct negotiations between the resort and the town.

dlague · Sep 3, 2015

Many states (not all) tax lift ticket sales but are built into the lift ticket price rather than being added. Like wise there are taxes on F&B, ski shops etc. When it comes to tax revenue generation, our politicians are always going to find ways to get more revenue. Once one area is taxed too much then the focus moves to the next "untapped business". Many taxing methods are focused on taxing tourist as well as locals including tolls, and taxing tourist industry businesses.

Gotta love it - NOT!

VTKilarney · Sep 3, 2015

I like the European model where the listed price always includes taxes. Just tell me what I have to pay.

deadheadskier · Sep 3, 2015

VTKilarney said:
I like the European model where the listed price always includes taxes. Just tell me what I have to pay.

Yup. Crap like airline tickets, utility bills, concert tickets; I really don't want to see all the taxes and fees as separate line items. Just show me the total price and call it good. It's better for my blood pressure.

dlague · Sep 3, 2015

VTKilarney said:
I like the European model where the listed price always includes taxes. Just tell me what I have to pay.

Then you like Vermont's model at least when it comes to lift tickets!

spiderpig · Sep 13, 2015

deadheadskier said:
It already happens. Often times in order for on Mountain projects to get approved, the ski areas have to give something back to the community. The town of Ludlow has negotiated a bunch of stuff out of the Meullers over the years. I remember them having to kick money towards low income housing to receive approval for a huge snowmaking pond project many years back. I know there was also financial concessions associated with the Jackson Gore deal.

While none of that stuff was funded through a lift ticket "tax", I'm sure Okemo recouped the expense with higher ticket and pass pricing.

I believe offering of gym memberships to the Spring House to town residents was part of the JG deal.

skiNEwhere · Sep 13, 2015

deadheadskier said:
Yup. Crap like airline tickets, utility bills, concert tickets; I really don't want to see all the taxes and fees as separate line items. Just show me the total price and call it good. It's better for my blood pressure.

Something I think everyone can agree on. Car rentals, especially from the airport are the worst. Base price will be like $45 a day but after airport fees, taxes, etc, it's more than doubled in price.

BenedictGomez · Sep 13, 2015

VTKilarney said:
I like the European model where the listed price always includes taxes. Just tell me what I have to pay.

I'm surprised more mountains dont do exactly the reverse.

Instead of listing $69 for an adult lift ticket on the board, list $65.10 + $3.90 tax = $69. Most businesses are more than happy to let the paying customer know part of the bill goes to the government (i.e. aint nothing they can do about it).

VTKilarney · Sep 14, 2015

BenedictGomez said:
I'm surprised more mountains dont do exactly the reverse.

Instead of listing $69 for an adult lift ticket on the board, list $65.10 + $3.90 tax = $69. Most businesses are more than happy to let the paying customer know part of the bill goes to the government (i.e. aint nothing they can do about it).

This is why I am surprised that our government hasn't passed a law requiring merchants to advertise the final price inclusive of taxes.

skiur · Sep 15, 2015

steamboat1 said:
Pay tax every year on my K pass, 7% I believe. Pass was $449 came out to about $480 with tax. I think it was when ASC owned K they charged tax separate from the lift ticket price for a year or so. It was rediculous. Say the ticket was $60 they'd charge $62.37 or something stupid like that.

When ASC had the cheap passes I remember going to a New Hampshire resort to buy the pass instead of K so I did not have to pay the tax.

Breckenridge Voters to Consider Tax on Lift Tickets

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