Burning Man‘s misfortunes continue to mount after its endorsed ticket resale platform mistakenly charged buyers an extra 9% tax, The San Francisco Standard reports.
The event’s Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP), powered by resale platform Tixel, erroneously applied Nevada’s 9% “Live Entertainment” tax to secondary market purchases when the program launched in mid-May, per The Standard. This meant buyers were effectively taxed twice—once during the original purchase and again during resale—adding roughly $70 to tickets that originally cost $750 with fees.
Organizers also reportedly implemented a new tiered-pricing system recently that drew criticism for its lack of transparency.
The double-taxation issue represents another stumble for the beleaguered event, which has faced mounting challenges since its disastrous 2023 event, wherein tens of thousands of attendees found themselves stranded in the Nevada desert after a heavy rainstorm walloped the Black Rock City metropolis. Burning Man at the time disseminated a “survival guide” after issuing a shelter-in-place directive.
Last year marked the first time since 2011 that the event failed to sell out, followed by a controversial $20 million budget shortfall that prompted the organization’s CEO, Marian Goodell, to solicit community donations to “help secure the long-term of Burning Man.”
A Burning Man representative confirmed in a statement that Tixel had “accidentally charged” the duplicate tax and is now working to process refunds.
“This issue is resolved and we anticipate STEP will continue to operate smoothly throughout the season,” Burning Man spokesperson Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley told The Standard.
The incident underscores the operational challenges facing Burning Man as it attempts to stabilize its finances while maintaining community trust less than three months before its next gathering. The 2025 event is scheduled for August 24th to September 1st.
Follow Burning Man:
X: x.com/burningman
Instagram: instagram.com/burningman
Facebook: facebook.com/burningman
Content shared from edm.com.