SB0483 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 15998 HLH 21369 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0483

Introduced 2/23/2021, by Sen. Cristina Castro

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 5/222
35 ILCS 17/10-10
35 ILCS 17/10-20

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the live theater production credit applies for tax years beginning prior to January 1, 2029 (currently, January 1, 2022). Amends the Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act. Includes commercial Broadway touring productions in the list of accredited productions. Increases the maximum aggregate credit amount from $2,000,000 per fiscal year to $4,000,000 per fiscal year. Provides that, beginning in State fiscal year 2021, $2,000,000 of the $4,000,000 cap shall be reserved for applicants that are operators of qualified production facilities solely in connection with the presentation of commercial Broadway touring shows. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by changing Section 222 as follows:

(35 ILCS 5/222)

Sec. 222. Live theater production credit.

(a) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2012 and beginning prior to January 1, 2029 January 1, 2022, a taxpayer who has received a tax credit award under the Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the taxes imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act in an amount determined under that Act by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(b) If the taxpayer is a partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or Subchapter S corporation, the tax credit award is allowed to the partners, unit holders, or shareholders in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704 and Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.

(c) A sale, assignment, or transfer of the tax credit award may be made by the taxpayer earning the credit within one year after the credit is awarded in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(d) The Department of Revenue, in cooperation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, shall adopt rules to enforce and administer the provisions of this Section.

(e) The tax credit award may not be carried back. If the amount of the credit exceeds the tax liability for the year, the excess may be carried forward and applied to the tax liability of the 5 tax years following the excess credit year. The tax credit award shall be applied to the earliest year for which there is a tax liability. If there are credits from more than one tax year that are available to offset liability, the earlier credit shall be applied first. In no event may a credit under this Section reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero.

(Source: P.A. 100-415, eff. 1-1-18.)

Section 10. The Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act is amended by changing Sections 10-10 and 10-20 as follows:

(35 ILCS 17/10-10)

Sec. 10-10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Accredited theater production" means a for-profit live stage presentation in a qualified production facility, as defined in this Section, that is either (i) a pre-Broadway production, or (ii) a long-run production for which the aggregate Illinois labor and marketing expenditures exceed $100,000, or (iii) a commercial Broadway touring show.

"Commercial Broadway touring show" means a production playing in 3 or more markets across North America and recognized as a commercial Broadway touring show by the Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry.

"Pre-Broadway production" means a live stage production that, in its original or adaptive version, is performed in a qualified production facility having a presentation scheduled for Broadway's Theater District in New York City within 12 months after its Illinois presentation.

"Long-run production" means a live stage production that is performed in a qualified production facility for longer than 8 weeks, with at least 6 performances per week, and includes a production that spans the end of one tax year and the commencement of a new tax year that, in combination, meets the criteria set forth in this definition making it a long-run production eligible for a theater tax credit award in each tax year or portion thereof.

"Accredited theater production certificate" means a certificate issued by the Department certifying that the production is an accredited theater production that meets the guidelines of this Act.

"Applicant" means a taxpayer that is a theater producer, owner, licensee, operator, or presenter that is presenting or has presented a live stage presentation located within the State of Illinois who:

(1) owns or licenses the theatrical rights of the stage presentation for the Illinois production period; or

(2) has contracted or will contract directly with the owner or licensee of the theatrical rights or a person acting on behalf of the owner or licensee to provide live performances of the production.

An applicant that directly or indirectly owns, controls, or operates multiple qualified production facilities shall be presumed to be and considered for the purposes of this Act to be a single applicant; provided, however, that as to each of the applicant's qualified production facilities, the applicant shall be eligible to separately and contemporaneously (i) apply for and obtain accredited theater production certificates, (ii) stage accredited theater productions, and (iii) apply for and receive a tax credit award certificate for each of the applicant's accredited theater productions performed at each of the applicant's qualified production facilities.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Director" means the Director of the Department.

"Illinois labor expenditure" means gross salary or wages including, but not limited to, taxes, benefits, and any other consideration incurred or paid to non-talent employees of the applicant for services rendered to and on behalf of the accredited theater production. To qualify as an Illinois labor expenditure, the expenditure must be:

(1) incurred or paid by the applicant on or after the effective date of the Act for services related to any portion of an accredited theater production from its pre-production stages, including, but not limited to, the writing of the script, casting, hiring of service providers, purchases from vendors, marketing, advertising, public relations, load in, rehearsals, performances, other accredited theater production related activities, and load out;

(2) directly attributable to the accredited theater production;

(3) limited to the first $100,000 of wages incurred or paid to each employee of an accredited theater production in each tax year;

(4) included in the federal income tax basis of the property;

(5) paid in the tax year for which the applicant is claiming the tax credit award, or no later than 60 days after the end of the tax year;

(6) paid to persons residing in Illinois at the time payments were made; and

(7) reasonable in the circumstances.

"Illinois production spending" means any and all expenses directly or indirectly incurred relating to an accredited theater production presented in any qualified production facility of the applicant, including, but not limited to, expenditures for:

(1) national marketing, public relations, and the creation and placement of print, electronic, television, billboard, and other forms of advertising; and

(2) the construction and fabrication of scenic materials and elements; provided, however, that the maximum amount of expenditures attributable to the construction and fabrication of scenic materials and elements eligible for a tax credit award shall not exceed $500,000 per applicant per production in any single tax year.

"Qualified production facility" means a facility located in the State in which live theatrical productions are, or are intended to be, exclusively presented that contains at least one stage, a seating capacity of 1,200 or more seats, and dressing rooms, storage areas, and other ancillary amenities necessary for the accredited theater production.

"Tax credit award" means the issuance to a taxpayer by the Department of a tax credit award in conformance with Sections 10-40 and 10-45 of this Act.

"Tax year" means a calendar year for the period January 1 to and including December 31.

(Source: P.A. 97-636, eff. 6-1-12.)

(35 ILCS 17/10-20)

Sec. 10-20. Tax credit award. Subject to the conditions set forth in this Act, an applicant is entitled to a tax credit award as approved by the Department for qualifying Illinois labor expenditures and Illinois production spending for each tax year in which the applicant is awarded an accredited theater production certificate issued by the Department. The amount of tax credits awarded pursuant to this Act shall not exceed (i) $2,000,000 in any fiscal year prior to State fiscal year 2021 and (ii) $4,000,000 per fiscal year beginning in State fiscal year 2021; provided, however, that beginning in State fiscal year 2021, $2,000,000 of the $4,000,000 cap shall be reserved for applicants that are operators of qualified production facilities solely in connection with the presentation of commercial Broadway touring shows. Credits shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the amount of credits applied for in any fiscal year exceeds the amount authorized to be awarded under this Section, the excess credit amount shall be awarded in the next fiscal year in which credits remain available for award and shall be treated as having been applied for on the first day of that fiscal year.

(Source: P.A. 97-636, eff. 6-1-12.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.