2023 Tennessee Code › Title 7 - CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS AND ENTITIES (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-91-104) › METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-21-408) › Chapter 3 - METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT-OPERATION AND POWERS (§§ 7-3-101 — 7-3-508) › Part 2 - TAXES (§§ 7-3-201 — 7-3-204) › Section 7-3-202 - Municipal stadium seat privilege tax

(a)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Event" means any activity with a paid admission fee that takes place primarily on or directly above the playing surface at the municipal stadium;
(2)
"Metropolitan government" means those counties and municipalities adopting the metropolitan form of government;
(3)
"Municipal stadium" means a structure that is constructed or improved after July 7, 1977, to contain seats for not less than thirty thousand (30,000) spectators, and that is used primarily for sporting events and other related activities and is currently financed or was financed by general obligation bonds, revenue bonds or other indebtedness issued by a metropolitan government or any public instrumentality of a metropolitan government; and
(4)
"Promoter" means any person, and any agent or representative of the person, engaged in the sale or offering for sale of tickets to an event.
(b)
(1)
(A)
There is authorized a privilege tax upon the privilege of attending any event at the municipal stadium in an amount not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the consideration charged for spectators attending the event.
(B)
Subject to the limitation in subdivision (b)(1)(A), the amount of the tax shall be established from time to time by ordinance of the local legislative body of the metropolitan government; provided, however, that the tax as adopted by the local legislative body shall not be at a rate or in an amount that would create a reimbursement obligation to the primary tenant of the municipal stadium under any lease existing on January 1, 2009, so long as the lease is in effect.
(2)
The privilege tax authorized in this section shall not apply to an event at a municipal stadium for the benefit of a public college or university where the public college or university utilizes the municipal stadium for a majority of its home football games in a particular season.
(3)
The privilege tax authorized in this section shall not apply to:
(A)
Non-ticketed or complimentary admissions credentials; or
(B)
Tickets for which no monetary consideration is received to the extent the number of the tickets does not exceed the lesser of five percent (5%) of the total number of tickets offered for sale to the event or three thousand two hundred fifty (3,250).
(4)
The privilege tax authorized in this section shall apply to the first, initial or original sale of tickets and shall not apply to re-sales or redistributions of the tickets.
(5)
The privilege tax authorized in this section shall be in addition to all other taxes or fees levied or authorized to be levied on the sale of any event ticket, whether in the form of excise, license or privilege taxes and shall be in addition to all other fees and taxes now levied or authorized to be levied; provided, however, that the privilege tax authorized in this section shall not be subject to state or local option taxes under title 67, chapter 6.
(c)
(1)
The privilege tax authorized in this section shall be added to the ticket price charged for admission to the municipal stadium by each promoter of the event. The promoter shall collect the privilege tax and remit it to the metropolitan government.
(2)
By ordinance, the legislative body of the metropolitan government may authorize the promoter to deduct up to two percent (2%) of the privilege tax collected by the promoter to defray the cost of accounting and remitting the tax to the metropolitan government.
(d)
The proceeds from the privilege tax authorized by this section and received by the metropolitan government shall be used by the metropolitan government exclusively to defray the cost of constructing, operating, renovating, expanding or improving the municipal stadium or for the payment of debt service on bonds or other indebtedness issued by the metropolitan government or any public instrumentality of the metropolitan government for the construction, operation, renovation, expansion or improvement of the municipal stadium.
(e)
This section shall only apply to those counties having a metropolitan form of government.
(f)
The privilege tax authorized by subdivision (b)(1) shall take effect upon the approval of the privilege tax by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the local legislative body of the metropolitan government.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 558, s 1, eff. 7/1/2021.
Acts 1977, ch. 491, §§ 1-7, 9; T.C.A., § 6-3738; Acts 2009 , ch. 530, § 60.