There’s been quite a bit of discussion lately over the application of the tourism tax to the Farmer’s Market in Falls Park in Sioux Falls, one of the best ones held in South Dakota. As noted in the Argus, the Dept of Revenue is claiming they also need to collect a tourism tax solely because of where the Farmer’s Market is held:
The state says because the market is held at Falls Park, a major tourist destination for the city of Sioux Falls, it is subject to the state’s tourism tax and could be subject to three-year’s worth of back taxes.
Randall said Farmers Market vendors in Sioux Falls for years have paid sales tax but not until recently did some of the regular vendors at the Falls Park Farmers Market start receiving letters from the state revenue office alerting them of the tourism requirement.
Considering there are Farmer’s Markets that take place across South Dakota, it seems completely unfair to single this one out based on a location under a park canopy at the far end of Falls Park. They don’t hit the other Farmer’s Markets which take place in parking lots across the state, including others in Sioux Falls. Just this one which happens to have a convenient canopy for vendors.
It seems to me that the whole tourism tax issue might need to be revisited by the State Legislature, and potentially modified. The same might be said for how Farmer’s Market participants are asked to pay taxes in general.
Because what’s happening now seems to be an example of an uneven playing field.
Agreed.
And I agree with the comments that very few people attend the Farmer’s Market as a tourist destination. It is mostly Sioux Falls people who like to get out and about on a Saturday morning and buy locally grown, fresh produce. If anything, it’s the vendors who come from out of town to sell their products to the SF market. It’s obnoxious that the State would try to hinder that.
This is an absurd over reach by the Daugaard administration. To hinder local producers of wholesome food by an inaccurate application of the tourism tax is ridiculous. Use a little common sense here.
Hmmm what about Arts Festivals?
Don’t you realize that the state is short of money????! This might be just the beginning with them looking for more tax revenue. Maybe trim some fat in some of the divisions in Pierre!
Is that the same Susan Randall that went after conservative Republicans for voting against a sales tax increase while running as a Democrat for the state legislature?