The heart of Texas beats to the rhythm of live music. Recognizing the crucial role that music venues and festivals play in fostering the vibrant music culture, the Texas Music Incubator Rebate (TMIR) Program provides $20.2 million in funding to any qualifying music venue or festival in the form of a full or partial rebate of the mixed beverage gross receipts taxes and sales taxes paid in the prior fiscal year.
In this blog post, I’ll delve into the details of this program and how it aims to support the live music industry across the state.
What Does It Do?
The TMIR Program offers a full or partial rebate of mixed beverage gross receipts taxes and sales taxes remitted in the prior fiscal year, with a cap of up to $100,000.
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible for the annual rebate, music venues or music festival promoters must meet specific requirements outlined. Here’s a breakdown of the eligibility criteria:
- Permit Status: Applicants must have been a permittee subject to the mixed beverage gross receipts tax or a permit holder subject to the sales tax on the sale of beer or wine for at least the two years preceding the application.
- Venue Capacity: Music venues must be retail establishments with a dedicated audience capacity of not more than 3,000 persons.
- Festival Location: Music festival promoters must have held a music festival in a county with a population of less than 100,000.
- Contracts with Artists: Applicants must have entered into a written contract with a musical performance artist for a live performance at the venue or festival, under which the artist received compensation either based on a specified percentage of ticket sales or other sales during the performance or a guaranteed amount in advance.
- Meeting Criteria: Applicants must meet at least five of the following criteria, with one of them being (A) or (B):
- (A) Marketing live music performances through listings in printed or electronic publications.
- (B) Providing live music performances five or more nights per week.
- (C) Employing or contracting services for sound engineers, bookers, promoters, stage managers, or security personnel.
- (D) Having live performance and audience space.
- (E) Providing technical sound and lighting support, either in-house or through a vendor.
- (F) Having space for the storage of audio equipment or musical instruments.
- (G) Applying cover charges to one or more live music performances through ticketing or imposing a front door entrance fee.
- (H) Maintaining hours of operation that coincide with live music performance show times.
When Does It Open?
The first round will be open from September 1 through November 30, 2023. Future rounds of applications will be announced pending available funds.
How Do I Apply?
To apply for the TMIR Program, visit the official application portal. It’s important to note that entities are eligible for only one rebate per tax ID per fiscal year.
Conclusion
If you would like assistance with applying for the Texas Music Incubator Rebate (TMIR) Program, please contact me by using the form below and I will respond as soon as possible. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this initiative and get the well-deserved rebates you deserve. To learn more about my grant writing experience please see my grant writing services page.