Call to overhaul withholding tax for touring acts
The European Music Managers Alliance claims the current system has caused some artists to lose money on otherwise profitable tours
Feature By IQ | 21 August 2025
The European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) is calling for an overhaul in how “withholding tax” is applied to touring musicians in the EU.
The umbrella organisation for more than 3,000 music managers across Europe has coordinated a letter to MEPs and EU Commissioners on the issue, backed by a cross-section of trade bodies, as well as music export offices.
Withholding taxes are typically deducted as a percentage of an artist’s gross payment when they perform in a foreign territory – theoretically providing a bond towards any taxes owed in the country of earning. However, EMMA says that no consideration is made of the actual costs and profitability of touring, with many artists overpaying the tax they owe as a result.
By comparison, US artists playing in…
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