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SB2125 • 2026

Fees

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 47 and Title 67, relative to tickets.

Taxes
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Bailey
Last action
2026-01-23
Official status
Withdrawn.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill has been withdrawn as of January 23, 2026, which means it is no longer active or awaiting another formal step in the legislative process.

Tennessee Live Music Support Act

This act requires a 5% fee on ticket sales for non-sports-related live music and performance events through the secondary market starting July 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires a 5% fee on tickets sold at retail in the secondary market for non-sports-related live music and performance events occurring within Tennessee.
  • Collects this fee monthly from third-party ticket resellers by the first day of each month, not individual users.
  • Deposits collected fees into a fund to support economic development grants for live music venues, promoters, and performers.
  • Allows the department of revenue to make rules about how to collect and enforce these fees.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Third-party ticket resellers who sell tickets on the secondary market.
  • Live music and performance event organizers in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Secondary ticketing market
The resale or exchange of tickets by individuals or entities other than the original seller.
Third-party ticket reseller
An individual, firm, corporation, or entity that sells tickets to live events through various means including websites and auctions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill was withdrawn on January 23, 2026.
  • It does not apply to sports-related events.
  • The act only takes effect after April 1, 2027, for assessment collection periods starting July 1, 2027.

Bill History

  1. Date Tennessee General Assembly

  2. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Withdrawn.

  3. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Beginning July 1, 2027,
this bill requires
a live music support assessment of 5%
to
be assessed on the sales price of all tickets sold at retail through the secondary ticketing market for any live music and performance event
, which does not include a sports-related event,
occurring within this state.
Such
assessments are due and payable monthly on the first day of each month, and for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of assessments payable under this
bill,
all third-party ticket resellers, on or before the
20
th
day of each month,
must
transmit to the commissioner of revenue

returns
showing the gross sales arising from all sales subject to the assessment during the preceding calendar month.

The department of revenue
must
impose the assessment on the third-party ticket resellers and
must
not impose the assessment directly on any individual user. Each third-party ticket reseller
must
register with the department for the collection and remittance of the assessment.

ADMINISTRATION
—

DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS

This bill requires the
department of revenue
to
collect and administer the assessment established under this
bill.
The funds must be deposited into the live music and performance venue fund, less any costs for the administration and enforcement of this assessment, and must be used solely for the purposes outlined
in present law
for that fund, including economic development support grants for live music and performance venues, promoters, and performers.

PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE

This bill provides that a
third-party ticket reseller that fails to collect and remit the live music support assessment to the department of revenue is subject to penalties and interest
as provided in

present law.

RULEMAKING

This bill authorizes the
department of revenue
to
promulgate rules to effectuate this
bill.

APPLICABILITY

Other than
promulgating rules and forms, this
bill
takes effect April 1, 2027
, and
applies only to assessment collection periods beginning on or after July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 2125
By Bailey
SB2125
011436
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 47 and Title 67, relative to tickets.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
67-6-1001. Short title.
This part is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Live Music Support Act."
67-6-1002. Part definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Live music and performance event" means a non-sports-related
event centered around live music, electronic music, comedy, dance, theater, or
other creative performance;
(2) "Live music support assessment" means the surcharge established in
§ 67-6-1003;
(3) "Secondary ticketing market" means the resale or exchange of tickets
to live music and performance events occurring in this state, by any individual or
entity other than the original ticket issuer or authorized primary seller;
(4) "Third-party ticket reseller" means an individual, firm, corporation, or
other entity that:
(A) Engages in the business of reselling tickets to a place of
entertainment;

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(B) Operates an internet website or other electronic service that
provides a mechanism for two (2) or more parties to participate in a resale
transaction;
(C) Facilitates resale transactions by means of an auction; or
(D) Maintains an office, branch of an office, bureau, agency, or
other entity for purposes of engaging in the business of reselling tickets to
a place of entertainment; and
(5) "Ticket" means a form of admission, whether paper, digital, or
otherwise, sold for entry to a live music and performance event, including season
tickets and multi-day events, located in this state.
67-6-1003. Imposition of live music support assessment — Registration.
(a) Beginning July 1, 2027, a live music support assessment of five percent (5%)
must be assessed on the sales price of all tickets sold at retail through the secondary
ticketing market for any live music and performance event occurring within this state.
(b) The assessments levied under this section are due and payable monthly on
the first day of each month, and for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of
assessments payable under this section, all third-party ticket resellers shall, on or before
the twentieth day of each month, transmit to the commissioner of revenue, upon forms
prescribed, prepared, and furnished by the commissioner, returns showing the gross
sales arising from all sales subject to the assessment under this section during the
preceding calendar month.
(c) The department of revenue shall impose the assessment on the third-party
ticket resellers and shall not impose the assessment directly on any individual user.
Each third-party ticket reseller shall register with the department for the collection and
remittance of the assessment levied pursuant to this section.

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67-6-1004. Administration — Distribution of funds.
(a) The department of revenue shall collect and administer the assessment
established under this section.
(b) The funds must be deposited into the live music and performance venue fund
created by § 4-3-5007, less any costs for the administration and enforcement of this
assessment, and must be used solely for the purposes outlined by § 4-3-5007 for that
fund, including economic development support grants for live music and performance
venues, promoters, and performers.
67-6-1005. Penalties for noncompliance.
A third-party ticket reseller that fails to collect and remit the live music support
assessment to the department of revenue is subject to penalties and interest pursuant to
§§ 67-1-801 – 67-1-804.
67-6-1006. Rules.
The department of revenue may promulgate rules to effectuate this part. The
rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures
Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 2. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 3. If any provision of this act or the application of any provision of this act to
any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or
applications of the act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to
that end, the provisions of this act are severable.
SECTION 4. For purposes of promulgating rules and forms, this act takes effect upon
becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect April

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1, 2027, the public welfare requiring it, and applies only to assessment collection periods
beginning on or after July 1, 2027.