"Going to the movies is one of the last affordable forms of recreation for many families," said Marie McClaflin of NC/SC NATO. "This tax will increase the price of the movie-going experience for families, and could put it out of reach financially for some families."
Under a proposal now under consideration in the North Carolina Legislature, the tax on tickets would jump from 1 percent to 7 percent - putting it in line with the sales tax charged on most other items North Carolinians buy.
McClaflin said the increase would push up the average price of a movie ticket as much as $1.60 for a family of four.
"Many of our theatre members are struggling to provide value to economically-challenged patrons," said McClaflin. "By adding additional costs to tickets, more families will be forced to stay at home instead of enjoying a movie and snack in a theatre. The result could be more theatres closing their doors."
