Bill Text: IL HB1528 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act of 2008. Removes a provision excluding industrial, corporate, or institutional productions from the definition of "accredited production". Provides that the term "Illinois production spending" includes compensation paid to performing artists. Defines "performing artist". Provides that the term "Illinois labor expenditure" includes the first $1,000,000 of wages paid to or incurred in connection with the employment of each performing artist, except that, if the performing artist is not an Illinois resident, the first $100,000 of wages paid to that performing artist shall be excluded. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-27 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1528 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB1528-Introduced.html

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99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 HB1528 Introduced , by Rep. Kenneth Dunkin SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
35 ILCS 16/10
Amends the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act of 2008. Removes a provision excluding industrial, corporate, or institutional productions from the definition of "accredited production". Provides that the term "Illinois production spending" includes compensation paid to performing artists. Defines "performing artist". Provides that the term "Illinois labor expenditure" includes the first $1,000,000 of wages paid to or incurred in connection with the employment of each performing artist, except that, if the performing artist is not an Illinois resident, the first $100,000 of wages paid to that performing artist shall be excluded. Effective immediately.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning revenue.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Film Production Services Tax Credit Act of
2008 is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:
(35 ILCS 16/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Accredited production" means: (i) for productions
commencing before May 1, 2006, a film, video, or television
production that has been certified by the Department in which
the aggregate Illinois labor expenditures included in the cost
of the production, in the period that ends 12 months after the
time principal filming or taping of the production began,
exceed $100,000 for productions of 30 minutes or longer, or
$50,000 for productions of less than 30 minutes; and (ii) for
productions commencing on or after May 1, 2006, a film, video,
or television production that has been certified by the
Department in which the Illinois production spending included
in the cost of production in the period that ends 12 months
after the time principal filming or taping of the production
began exceeds $100,000 for productions of 30 minutes or longer
or exceeds $50,000 for productions of less than 30 minutes.
"Accredited production" does not include a production that:

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(1) is news, current events, or public programming, or
a program that includes weather or market reports;
(2) is a talk show;
(3) is a production in respect of a game,
questionnaire, or contest;
(4) is a sports event or activity;
(5) is a gala presentation or awards show;
(6) is a finished production that solicits funds;
(7) is a production produced by a film production
company if records, as required by 18 U.S.C. 2257, are to
be maintained by that film production company with respect
to any performer portrayed in that single media or
multimedia program; or
(8) (blank). is a production produced primarily for
industrial, corporate, or institutional purposes.
"Accredited animated production" means an accredited
production in which movement and characters' performances are
created using a frame-by-frame technique and a significant
number of major characters are animated. Motion capture by
itself is not an animation technique.
"Accredited production certificate" means a certificate
issued by the Department certifying that the production is an
accredited production that meets the guidelines of this Act.
"Applicant" means a taxpayer that is a film production
company that is operating or has operated an accredited
production located within the State of Illinois and that (i)

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owns the copyright in the accredited production throughout the
Illinois production period or (ii) has contracted directly with
the owner of the copyright in the accredited production or a
person acting on behalf of the owner to provide services for
the production, where the owner of the copyright is not an
eligible production corporation.
"Credit" means:
(1) for an accredited production approved by the
Department on or before January 1, 2005 and commencing
before May 1, 2006, the amount equal to 25% of the Illinois
labor expenditure approved by the Department. The
applicant is deemed to have paid, on its balance due day
for the year, an amount equal to 25% of its qualified
Illinois labor expenditure for the tax year. For Illinois
labor expenditures generated by the employment of
residents of geographic areas of high poverty or high
unemployment, as determined by the Department, in an
accredited production commencing before May 1, 2006 and
approved by the Department after January 1, 2005, the
applicant shall receive an enhanced credit of 10% in
addition to the 25% credit; and
(2) for an accredited production commencing on or after
May 1, 2006, the amount equal to:
(i) 20% of the Illinois production spending for the
taxable year; plus
(ii) 15% of the Illinois labor expenditures

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generated by the employment of residents of geographic
areas of high poverty or high unemployment, as
determined by the Department; and
(3) for an accredited production commencing on or after
January 1, 2009, the amount equal to:
(i) 30% of the Illinois production spending for the
taxable year; plus
(ii) 15% of the Illinois labor expenditures
generated by the employment of residents of geographic
areas of high poverty or high unemployment, as
determined by the Department.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
"Illinois labor expenditure" means salary or wages paid to
employees of the applicant for services on the accredited
production;
To qualify as an Illinois labor expenditure, the
expenditure must be:
(1) Reasonable in the circumstances.
(2) Included in the federal income tax basis of the
property.
(3) Incurred by the applicant for services on or after
January 1, 2004.
(4) Incurred for the production stages of the

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accredited production, from the final script stage to the
end of the post-production stage.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in this item (5),
limited Limited to the first $25,000 of wages paid or
incurred to each employee of a production commencing before
May 1, 2006 and the first $100,000 of wages paid or
incurred to each employee of a production commencing on or
after May 1, 2006. For performing artists who provide
services with respect to an accredited production
commencing on or after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, limited to the
first $1,000,000 of wages paid or incurred to that
performing artist, except that, if the performing artist is
not an Illinois resident, the first $100,000 of wages paid
to that performing artist shall be excluded.
(6) For a production commencing before May 1, 2006,
exclusive of the salary or wages paid to or incurred for
the 2 highest paid employees of the production.
(7) Directly attributable to the accredited
production.
(8) (Blank).
(9) Paid to persons resident in Illinois at the time
the payments were made, except that this requirement does
not apply to performing artists.
(10) Paid for services rendered in Illinois.
"Illinois production spending" means the expenses incurred

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by the applicant for an accredited production, including,
without limitation, all of the following:
(1) expenses to purchase, from vendors within
Illinois, tangible personal property that is used in the
accredited production;
(2) expenses to acquire services, from vendors in
Illinois, for film production, editing, or processing; and
(3) the compensation, not to exceed $100,000 for any
one employee, for contractual or salaried employees who are
Illinois residents performing services with respect to the
accredited production, except that this item (3) does not
apply to compensation paid to performing artists; and .
(4) for productions commencing on or after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General
Assembly, the compensation, not to exceed $1,000,000, for
any performing artist providing services with respect to
the accredited production.
"Performing artist" means a person who provides services as
an actor or actress and does not include persons who themselves
are not performing artists including, but not limited to,
managers or promoters of those artists, persons who are
employed in other trades or business related to the performing
arts, persons who broadcast, or athletes.
"Qualified production facility" means stage facilities in
the State in which television shows and films are or are
intended to be regularly produced and that contain at least one

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sound stage of at least 15,000 square feet.
Rulemaking authority to implement this amendatory Act of
the 95th General Assembly, if any, is conditioned on the rules
being adopted in accordance with all provisions of the Illinois
Administrative Procedure Act and all rules and procedures of
the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; any purported rule
not so adopted, for whatever reason, is unauthorized.
(Source: P.A. 97-796, eff. 7-13-12.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.