24 - Empire state film production credit.
§ 24. Empire state film production credit. (a) (1) Allowance of credit. A taxpayer which is a qualified film production company, or a qualified independent film production company, or which is a sole proprietor of or a member of a partnership which is a qualified film production company or a qualified independent film production company, and which is subject to tax under articles nine-A or twenty-two of this chapter, shall be allowed a credit against such tax, pursuant to the provisions referenced in subdivision (c) of this section, to be computed as hereinafter provided. (2) The amount of the credit shall be the product (or pro rata share of the product, in the case of a member of a partnership) of thirty percent and the qualified production costs paid or incurred in the production of a qualified film, provided that: (i) the qualified production costs (excluding post production costs) paid or incurred which are attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services at a qualified film production facility in the production of such qualified film equal or exceed seventy-five percent of the production costs (excluding post production costs) paid or incurred which are attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services at any film production facility within and without the state in the production of such qualified film, and (ii) except with respect to a qualified independent film production company or pilot, at least ten percent of the total principal photography shooting days spent in the production of such qualified film must be spent at a qualified film production facility. However, if the qualified production costs (excluding post production costs) which are attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services at a qualified film production facility in the production of such qualified film is less than three million dollars, then the portion of the qualified production costs attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services in the production of such qualified film outside of a qualified film production facility shall be allowed only if the shooting days spent in New York outside of a film production facility in the production of such qualified film equal or exceed seventy-five percent of the total shooting days spent within and without New York outside of a film production facility in the production of such qualified film. The credit shall be allowed for the taxable year in which the production of such qualified film is completed. However, in the case of a qualified film that receives funds from additional pool 2, no credit shall be claimed before the later of (1) the taxable year the production of the qualified film is complete, or (2) the taxable year immediately following the allocation year for which the film has been allocated credit by the governor's office for motion picture and television development. If the amount of the credit is at least one million dollars but less than five million dollars, the credit shall be claimed over a two year period beginning in the first taxable year in which the credit may be claimed and in the next succeeding taxable year, with one-half of the amount of credit allowed being claimed in each year. If the amount of the credit is at least five million dollars, the credit shall be claimed over a three year period beginning in the first taxable year in which the credit may be claimed and in the next two succeeding taxable years, with one-third of the amount of the credit allowed being claimed in each year. (3) No qualified production costs used by a taxpayer either as the basis for the allowance of the credit provided for under this section or used in the calculation of the credit provided for under this section shall be used by such taxpayer to claim any other credit allowed pursuant to this chapter.(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subdivision, a qualified film production company or qualified independent film production company, that has applied for credit under the provisions of this section, agrees as a condition for the granting of the credit: (i) to include in each qualified film distributed by DVD, or other media for the secondary market, a New York promotional video approved by the governor's office of motion picture and television development or to include in the end credits of each qualified film "Filmed With the Support of the New York State Governor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development" and a logo provided by the governor's office of motion picture and television development, and (ii) to certify that it will purchase taxable tangible property and services, defined as qualified production costs pursuant to paragraph one of subdivision (b) of this section, only from companies registered to collect and remit state and local sales and use taxes pursuant to articles twenty-eight and twenty-nine of this chapter. (b) Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) "Qualified production costs" means production costs only to the extent such costs are attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services within the state directly and predominantly in the production (including pre-production and post production) of a qualified film, provided, however, that qualified production costs shall not include post production costs unless the portion of the post production costs paid or incurred that is attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services in New York in the production of such qualified film equals or exceeds seventy-five percent of the total post production costs spent within and without New York in the production of such qualified film. (2) "Production costs" means any costs for tangible property used and services performed directly and predominantly in the production (including pre-production and post production) of a qualified film. "Production costs" shall not include (i) costs for a story, script or scenario to be used for a qualified film and (ii) wages or salaries or other compensation for writers, directors, including music directors, producers and performers (other than background actors with no scripted lines). "Production costs" generally include technical and crew production costs, such as expenditures for film production facilities, or any part thereof, props, makeup, wardrobe, film processing, camera, sound recording, set construction, lighting, shooting, editing and meals. (3) "Qualified film" means a feature-length film, television film, television pilot and/or each episode of a television series, regardless of the medium by means of which the film, pilot or episode is created or conveyed. "Qualified film" shall not include (i) a documentary film, news or current affairs program, interview or talk program, "how-to" (i.e., instructional) film or program, film or program consisting primarily of stock footage, sporting event or sporting program, game show, award ceremony, film or program intended primarily for industrial, corporate or institutional end-users, fundraising film or program, daytime drama (i.e., daytime "soap opera"), commercials, music videos or "reality" program, or (ii) a production for which records are required under section 2257 of title 18, United States code, to be maintained with respect to any performer in such production (reporting of books, films, etc. with respect to sexually explicit conduct). (4) "Film production facility" shall mean a building and/or complex of buildings and their improvements and associated back-lot facilities in which films are or are intended to be regularly produced and whichcontain at least one sound stage, provided, however, that an armory owned by the state or city of New York located in the city of New York shall not be considered to be a "film production facility" unless it meets the criteria contained in paragraph five of this subdivision or unless such facility is used by a qualified independent film production company. (5) "Qualified film production facility" shall mean a film production facility in the state, which contains at least one sound stage having a minimum of seven thousand square feet of contiguous production space, provided, however, that except with respect to a qualified film production facility being used by a qualified independent film production company: (i) a film production facility in the city of New York must contain at least one sound stage having a minimum of seven thousand square feet of contiguous production space that is sound proof with a Noise Criteria ("NC") of 30 or better, has sufficient heating and air conditioning for shooting without the need for supplemental units, incorporates a permanent grid and sufficient built-in electric service for shooting without the need for generators, and is column-free with a clear height of at least sixteen feet under the permanent grid; and (ii) an armory owned by the state or city of New York located in the city of New York that does not satisfy the criteria of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be treated as a qualified film production facility upon certification by the governor's office of motion picture and television development of a petition submitted to that office by a qualified film production company establishing that no qualified film production facility is available in the city of New York that has stage space available for shooting such company's film. Such petition shall be submitted no later than ninety days prior to the start of principal photography for the qualified film and the governor's office of motion picture and television development shall have ten days to certify or reject the petition. A stage will be deemed unavailable if consideration has been paid for its use or such stage is currently under an agreement with an option for use and, in either circumstance, such period of use includes the petitioner's estimated start date of principal photography. (6) "Qualified film production company" is a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, or other entity or individual which or who is principally engaged in the production of a qualified film and controls the qualified film during production. (7) "Qualified independent film production company" is a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, or other entity or individual, that or who (i) is principally engaged in the production of a qualified film with a maximum budget of fifteen million dollars, and (ii) controls the qualified film during production, and (iii) either is not a publicly traded entity, or no more than five percent of the beneficial ownership of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a publicly traded entity. (c) Cross-references. For application of the credit provided for in this section, see the following provisions of this chapter: (1) article 9-A: section 210: subdivision 36. (2) article 22: section 606: subsection (gg). (d) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, employees and officers of the governor's office of motion picture and television development and the department shall be allowed and are directed to share and exchange information regarding the credits applied for, allowed, or claimed pursuant to this section and taxpayers who are applying for credits or who are claiming credits, including information contained in or derived from credit claim forms submitted to the department and applications for credit submitted to the governor's office of motion picture and television development.