Incentive for certain professional golf sporting events -- Definitions for section -- Terms -- Application -- Sunset -- Administrative regulation -- Annual report
KRS 139.5327
in effect139.5327. Incentive for certain professional golf sporting events -- Definitions for section -- Terms -- Application -- Sunset -- Administrative regulation -- Annual report
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Facility operator" means a person who owns or operates a venue;
(b) "Professional golf sporting event" means an organized, competitive golf event, governed by rules and a sporting body, where participants compete for compensation beyond actual expenses;
(c) "Qualifying attraction" means a series o f professional golf sporting events which is: 1. Held at a venue over a duration of at least three (3) consecutive days; 2. Hosted by a sponsoring entity pursuant to an agreement with a facility operator that authorizes the sponsoring entity to conduct one (1) or more series of a professional golf sporting event; and 3. Open to the public upon purchase of tickets, with attendance totaling at least one hundred thousand (100,000) admissions over the duration of each series of professional golf sporting events ;
(d) "Sponsoring entity" means the person hosting a qualifying attraction; and
(e) "Venue" means: 1. Public property located in a consolidated local government or in an urban-county government that is owned, operated, or controlled by the consolidated local government or urban-county government; 2. A park located in a consolidated local government that is : a. Open to the general public; and b. Owned, operated, or controlled by any nonprofit corporation established under the provisions of KRS 273.161 to 273.390; 3. Property located in a consolidated local government or in an urban - county government that is owned, operated, or controlled by a public university; or 4. Privately owned property located in a consolidated local government or in an urban-county government that is suitable for hosting professional golf sporting events and qualifying attractions.
(2) Notwithstanding KRS 134.580 and 139.770:
(a) A sponsoring entity shall be granted a sales tax incentive equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Kentucky sales tax generated by the sale of admissions to a qualifying attraction held at a venue, and the s ales of tangible personal property and services related to the qualifying attraction, including but not limited to the sale of: 1. Food and beverage concessions; 2. Souvenirs; 3. Parking; 4. Suites; 5. Sponsorships; and 6. Other hospitality services; sold at the qualifying attraction;
(b) One hundred percent (100%) of the sales tax incentive authorized in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be paid to the sponsoring entity of the qualifying attraction from which the sales taxes were generated;
(c) Only one (1) incentive request shall be made for each qualifying attraction each year;
(d) The sponsoring entity shall have no obligation to refund or otherwise return any amount of the sales tax incentive to the persons from whom the sales tax was collected;
(e) The sales tax incentive shall be reduced by the vendor compensation allowed under KRS 139.570; and
(f) Interest shall not be allowed or paid on any sales tax incentive payment made under this section.
(3) The department shall accept initial applicati ons for sales tax incentives under this section for qualifying attractions held on or after July 1, 2026.
(4) To be eligible for a sales tax incentive under this section, the sponsoring entity shall file an initial application with the department, which:
(a) Includes sufficient information regarding the qualifying attraction to demonstrate whether it qualifies for the sales tax incentive; and
(b) Is filed at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the first professional golf sporting event constituting the qualifying attraction.
(5) Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the initial application, the department shall notify the sponsoring entity of its preliminary approval or denial of the qualifying attraction.
(6) If the initial application is denied, the department shall provide the reason for the denial.
(7) After approval of its initial application and the completion of the qualifying attraction, a sponsoring entity shall apply for a sales tax incentive no earlie r than thirty (30) days following the end of the month during which sales taxes that were generated from the qualifying attraction are collected. The application may aggregate eligible sales taxes from previous months if the events comprising the qualifying attraction were held in more than one (1) month.
(8) The department shall review each application for a sales tax incentive and determine if it meets the requirements of this section, pending the verification of required attendance.
(9) In determining eligibility for a sales tax incentive authorized under this section, the department shall waive the duration and attendance requirements listed in subsection (1)(c)1. and 3. of this section if the person requesting an incentive demonstrates that any delays, cancellations, or postponements were due to inclement weather or other extraordinary events beyond the control of the parties involved and that the weather or other extraordinary events rendered the satisfaction of the requirement impossible.
(10) Both the initial application and the sales tax incentive application shall be in the form prescribed by the department through the promulgation of an administrative regulation in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A.
(11) The department shall verify the amount of sales tax incentive and pay the allocations determined to be due in accordance with subsection (2)(b) of this section within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the later of:
(a) The application submitted under subsection (7) of this section; or
(b) All necessary supporting information required by the department to determine that the sponsoring entity is eligible for the incentive.
(12) (a) Prior to November 1, 2027, and continuing each November 1 thereafter to November 1, 2037, the department shall provide an annual report detailing information related to each qualifying attraction receiving incentives during the fiscal year concluding on June 30 of the reporting period.
(b) The department shall include the following information in the report: 1. The name of the qualifying attraction; 2. The venue where the qualifying attraction was held; 3. The name of the facility operator; 4. The name of the sponsoring entity; 5. The duration of the qualifying attraction and the number of admissions over that duration; 6. The amount of incentive paid to the facility operator; and 7. The amount of incentive paid to the sponsoring entity.
(c) The information required to be reported under this subsection shall not be considered confidential taxpayer information and shall not be subject to KRS Chapter 131 or any other provisions of the Kentucky Revised Statutes prohibiting disclosure or reporting of information.
(13) The provisions of this section shall expire on November 30, 2036, and a qualifying attraction held after November 30, 2036, shall not be eligible for the incentives authorized in this section.
(14) The General Assembly is committed to the research and development of tourism policies, including the aspiration to hold other professional sporting events across the Commonwealth and especially in rural Kentucky.
Effective: July 1, 2026
History: Created 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 161, sec. 128, effective July 1, 2026; and amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 198, sec. 54, effective July 1, 2026. Legislative Research Commission Note (7/1/2026). This statute was created by 2026 RS HB 757 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 161, sec. 128), which was subsequently amended by 2026 RS HB 869 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 198, sec. 54), and the amendment has been incorporated in codification.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57157Fetched: 10/20/2026