Bangalore: A delegation of various wings of the Kannada film industry are planning to meet Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to plead for withdrawal of
service tax on artistes and others in the industry.
Stating this, Kannada Cinema Artists Association President Ambareesh told reporters here that the film industry was already burdened with entertainment tax and service tax will hit the producers, distributors, exhibitors, artists and technicians.
"The artists do not have a permanent source of income. They are in the reckoning until they are saleable in the market. Levying service tax on film industry will doubly burden the industry," he said. Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce
President K V Chandrashekhar said confusion had cropped up as to who should
bear the burden of service tax. "Will it be the producer, distributor or exhibitor? The film industry is not a service industry, you know," he said.
In February last year, activity in the entire Kannada film industry had come to a grinding halt over the issue.
A delegation had met Governor H R Bharadwaj and handed over a memorandum demanding that the Union Government withdraw the service tax.
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