22/12/2009 - Community groups facing 'music tax'
Up to a quarter of a million organisations, including village halls and community groups, may be hit with a fee to play recorded music on their premises, Conservatives have warned.
Under new regulations being proposed by business secretary Lord Mandelson, the groups will have to hold a PPL performace rights licence, costing £81-a- year.
Tory charities spokesman Nick Hurd said the plan, which would come into effect in April next year, would effectively put a £20 million tax on voluntary groups across the UK.
Furthermore, an Intellectual Property Office "impact assessment" discovered that 140,000 charities, 6,750 charity shops, 66,440 sports clubs, 4,000 community buildings, 5,000 rural halls and 45,000 religious buildings could be affected by the cost of the fee, forcing some organisations to stop playing music .
A spokesman for IPO, part of the Department for Business, said: "PPL has agreed to operate some voluntary exemptions to its fees, meaning that some organisations will pay nothing. Fees for others will be decided following consultation, and we would encourage all organisations to engage with PPL and the Community Sector Law Monitoring Group to make their voices heard."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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