Event producers in Puerto Rico asked the House of Representatives to approve House Bill 979, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the requirement that show tickets be validated (refrendo) with the Treasury Department. At a public hearing on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez rejected the measure as written, saying the informational form serves a concrete oversight function.
Under the current system, producers register with Treasury and post an annual bond; before each show they must file a form 48 hours before ticket sales begin listing the artists, number of tickets, prices and complimentary tickets; and within 30 days after the event they must reconcile tickets sold with the ticketing company’s sales tax (IVU) payment report, which releases the bond. Producer Ivonne Class, executive director of the Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas, said the process duplicates reports and blocks last-minute sales and price changes, and that the requirements of the Office of Public Shows Promoter Services (OSPEP) demand considerable time that strains nonprofits and independent producers.
Raquel Vázquez, executive director of Teatro Público, said producers are not seeking exemption from oversight but tools compatible with available technology, noting that one production with three shows and four price categories can require 12 separate entries in SURI. Treasury and Budget Committee chair Eduardo Charbonier Chinea noted the bill would not exclude tickets from IVU.
Pantoja said he shares the goal of easing burdens and has met with the industry, but does not recommend approving the measure as drafted.