Comments on: Missouri Taxes Studios, Texas to Join in Licensing Battle, Everyone Tries to Define Yoga

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:48:59 +0000

Interested parties may want to take a look at this part of the Washington Administrative Code that defines physical fitness services, and clearly exempts yoga as a taxable service under the law:
“(l) “Physical fitness services” include, but are not limited to: All exercise classes, whether aerobic, dance, water, jazzercise, etc., providing running tracks, weight lifting, weight training, use of exercise equipment, such as treadmills, bicycles, stair-masters and rowing machines, and providing personal trainers (i.e., a person who assesses an individual’s workout needs and tailors a physical fitness workout program to meet those individual needs). “Physical fitness services” do not include instructional lessons such as those for self-defense, martial arts, yoga, and stress-management. Nor do these services include instructional lessons for activities such as tennis, golf, swimming, etc. “Instructional lessons” can be distinguished from “exercise classes” in that instruction in the activity is the primary focus in the former and exercise is the primary focus in the latter.”

By: Roger

Roger — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:09:34 +0000

As promised, Texas is getting organized. http://www.texyoga.org Taxes are not the issue. The Texas Workforce Commission has seen fit to exempt from regulation/licensing the following as an “avocation” (that is, not a career):
Dance, Rifle Ranges
Music, Sewing
Judo and Karate Knitting
Physical Fitness, Sport,s or Athletics
Riding Academies, Swimming.
The Texas Yoga Association and its members are merely arguing that yoga fits into the above categories than a career school. Yoga isn’t a religion, in my opinion, although it does promote spirituality, mediation and contemplation. If it were a religion, it would have exempt status under state and federal law. That is not what we are talking about, at least in Texas.

By: Call to Action: Help Yoga in New York

Call to Action: Help Yoga in New York — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:48:23 +0000

[...] The mission is underway and you can help! Haven’t been keeping up? Read about it here and here. [...]

By: sangos

sangos — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:01:41 +0000

Yoga IS spiritual in India…but commercial in America, so the taxes are fully justified. Maybe if they are steep enough people will remember the ‘antarnga sadhana’ of Yoga

By: Kai

Kai — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:47:16 +0000

I have to admit, this yoga/religion issue makes me want to roll my eyes just a tad.

Seems like just yesterday I read an article gently asserting that yoga is NOT a religion. I believe it was a response to the evangelical Christian fear that doing yoga is akin to becoming Hindu (or worse, Communing with the Devil).

We can’t have it both ways. It’s either a religion, or it’s not.

(And this is just one layer of the onion…I’ll leave the commentary re: ‘Yoga in the West’ to Linda…)

*ahem* However…more to the point:

With the prevalence of obesity in the United States, along with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, not to mention good old fashioned ‘stress’, what the heck is the government thinking, taxing FITNESS of all things?!

Seems to me that anything that improves the health of citizens should be a tax-free endeavour. And I really don’t think yoga qualifies as ‘entertainment’, no matter now good the teacher’s jokes are.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:02:19 +0000

I live in MO and I am disgusted. It breaks my heart. Believe me, there will be some letters written.

By: Bob Weisenberg

Bob Weisenberg — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Thanks for the great summary of past articles and issues.

The problem is that the “Yoga” is used for everything from pure fitness to pure spirituality, and everything in between and every combination of everything in between.

I personally embrace this diversity, but just try to imagine how confusing it is to an outsider just looking in!

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com

By: SunflowerJ

SunflowerJ — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:25:38 +0000

Booo!!! and this is my home state. So sad