USA filmmakers: fundraising tax incentive set to expire

Rep Diane Watson (CA) introduced H.R. 3931 on Oct 27 - this is the extension for Section 181. Call your Congressperson to vote YES on 3931!!!
 
Thanks for the update, Zak.

Co-sponsors look like a lot of California representatives:
Mary Bono Mack of the CA 45th district
Bob Filner of the CA 51st
Lois Capps of the CA 32nd
John Garamendi of the CA 10th
Dennis Cardoza of the CA 18th
Jane Harman of the CA 36th
Judy Chu of the CA 32nd
Michael Honda of the CA 15th
Susan Davis of the CA 53rd
Darrell Issa of the CA 49th

If your particular congressperson is on this list, there's not much need to write them; they have clearly made their preferences known, although if you support the bill it certainly couldn't hurt to give your congressperson a pat on the back. If you are against the bill, knowing that your congressperson is a co-sponsor of a bill you don't support would certainly probably give you reason to want to contact them as well.

Again, if you want to contact your congressional representative, you can find them at http://www.house.gov/writerep

(it should go without saying, but please don't write to someone else's representative! That just wastes their time and burdens them with tasks that they shouldn't be asked to undertake.)

The most important congresspeople to contact right now are those on the Ways & Means Committee. If your representative is on this list, please take the time to write to them and let them know how you feel. If your representative is NOT on this list, please write to your representative and ask them to please speak to the Ways & Means committee members on your behalf.

Here are the Ways & Means committee members:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/committee.xpd?id=HSWM

Of particular interest to the film committee might be the members of the Ways & Means committee who are from film-heavy states, such as Charles Rangel of New York, David Camp of Michigan, Xavier Becerra of California, Charles Boustany of Louisiana, Kevin Brady of Texas, Joseph Crowley of New York, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Bob Etheridge of North Carolina, Walter Herger of California, Brian Higgins of New York, Samuel Johnson of Texas, Sander Levin of Michigan, Devin Nunes of California, Linda Sanchez of California, Fortney Stark of California, and Michael Thompson of California. If your congressperson is on this list, you have a greater opportunity and a greater responsibility to contact them and advise them of your position on this bill.


The next step for the bill is that it has been referred to the Ways & Means committee. There are 41 members on Ways & Means, and their input is vital into whether this bill goes forward or not.

So -- if you want to participate in the process for this particular bill, contact your congressperson, who you can find at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov
 
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Okay, an update -- one of my senators' staff actually called me to thank me for participating in the political process, and to assure me that the senator would be supporting my position.

And then told me that I was THE ONLY PERSON IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA who had contacted them about this issue.

Seriously?

North Carolina is a huge film state. #10 most-populated state in the Union. And there's only two senators. And I'm the only guy who contacted them?

There are currently TWO bills in the Ways and Means committee aimed at extending section 181. H.R. 3931, as previously discussed, would extend it for two years. But there's also H.R. 2720, which would make the film incentive a PERMANENT part of the tax code, never expiring.

If you do not stand up and make your voices heard, then who will?
 
Gossip around the crew last couple of days is that Michigan, Florida and a couple other states' legislatures are soon going to curtail the various incentives programs because they did not deliver the expected returns.

Yet to be verified.
 
You know we live in a litigious society when Barry Green has to include fine print on one of his posts on DVXUSER!

I have been trying to keep up with the Michigan filmmaking tax incentives plan, since I lived there for a long time and still have a lot of compadres back there. From what I have seen, it has been controversial since its inception, but the talk of sh*t canning it seems to me to be partisan saber rattling more than anything. I hope so at least. I know a lot of folks are getting good work out of it.
 
For you film specific members:

VIRTUAL SEMINAR: "Section 181" with Hal "Corky" Kessler (December 9)

http://www.filmspecific.com/public/999.cfm

Every indie filmmaker would benefit from Stacy's site. I've found the membership to be money very well spent.

I am going to try to listen in on this on Wed, but not sure yet if I can. She usually records these though for listening later.
 
Latest update - this provision has been combined with H.R. 4213 - which just passed the House Vote a few hours ago - 241-181 - now on to the Senate. If it passes, it will be extended through 2010. I spoke with the office of a Colorado Senator today and he said it may or may not get through the Senate by the end of the year - with the health care legislation it might be tough to push through by year end - so I guess only time will tell.

This is taken directly from H.R. 4213:
• Special expensing rules for certain film and television productions: Extends through 2010 a provision that allows film and television producers to expense the first $15 million of filming costs incurred in the U.S., and the first $20 million if the costs are incurred in an economically depressed area. JCT estimates that this provision would reduce revenues by $51 million over ten years.
 
Thanks for the update, RedGiant.

Well, with it having passed the House, the next major vote comes in the Senate. Every USA-citizen member of DVXUser is entitled to voice their opinion to two U.S. Senators, and the fate of this extension now lies in the Senate.

DVXUser members who wish to do so should make their voices heard on this issue, whatever their stance may be. You can locate who your senators are on www.senate.gov. Write to your senators and ask them to support your position on H.R. 4213, the "Tax Extenders of 2009" act, when it comes up for a Senate vote.
 
Sad Max said:
Gossip around the crew last couple of days is that Michigan, Florida and a couple other states' legislatures are soon going to curtail the various incentives programs because they did not deliver the expected returns.

Yet to be verified.
Click to expand...

I'm friends with a Senator who thinks taxpaers money should be used for 'better' things and will be voting against it even after several attempts and lots of martini's to persuade him. It's going to be close. :nads:
 
You know, I have to admit that there very well may really be better things upon which to spend the money.

Not that it would get spent on those things, anyway.
 
Yep, as of now they are expired, however, there are Senators that have sent word to Harry Reid that they intend to tackle this issue as a high priority early in the new year, and to make the reinstatement retroactive to January first.
 
Passed the Senate on 3/10/2010 to extend section 181 through December, 31 2010 - however, the President hasn't signed the bill yet, which would make it official.
 
Once again, Barry, thank you for putting this in front of the membership. As film-makers and aspiring film-makers, this legislation can really assist you in procuring financing for your upcoming projects.

Sure, many of us just fund our own projects, and mostly they will be ELB, because who has 20-50K (minimum) lying around to spend on a short/feature film? But once you have gotten your chops, the projects become more involved, and yes, more expensive. This bill will assist you in procuring the funding you will need. Of course, it's not a "magic bullet", as first you will need a project that money people will be interested in funding. And if you do, your film project MUST be run in a business model, and adhere to it. This is the line that you cross to become a business venture with a potential to profit, rather than just a hobby. And investors want to make a profit, they are not charitable organizations who give money out as gifts.

I know I am supporting it, this will impact something I am wanting to do.

But Barry has done good work here, by this thread.
 
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Gonna be there w/others. Pay at the door?

I am really looking forwards to this. And if you are in SoCal, and want to be a film-maker with a real budget, you should too.
 
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