HB 23-1275

HB 23-1275, which has been signed into law in Colorado, updates the state’s film production incentive program by changing how certain payments are counted towards these incentives. Specifically, it now allows production companies to include payments made to personal service corporations for employee wages when calculating their local spending. However, any payment over $1 million per year to a single corporation won’t count toward the incentives. The law also requires production companies to file an information income tax return documenting these payments and may require them to withhold state income tax if certain conditions aren't met. This change will take effect on August 7, 2023, impacting film productions and personal service corporations involved in Colorado’s film industry.

Official Summary

The act modifies the definition of "qualified local expenditure" for purposes of the performance-based incentive for film production in Colorado to include payment by a production company to a personal services corporation to pay the wages or salaries of an employee-owner of the personal service corporation. "Personal service corporation" and "employee-owner of a personal service corporation" have the same meaning as set forth in the internal revenue code. A payment by a production company to a personal service corporation is a qualified local expenditure only if the production company documents the payment in an information income tax return. Payments in excess of $1 million per calendar year per personal service corporation are excluded from the calculation of the performance-based incentive. The changes related to the definition of employee and withholding requirements made in the act apply to income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2024. The act adds the new information income tax return requirement for production companies to state income tax law and specifies that a production company is generally not required to deduct and withhold state income tax from a payment to a personal service corporation for services. However, if the information return fails to provide a taxpayer identification number for the personal service corporation that can be validated through the taxpayer identification number matching program administered by the internal revenue service, or provides a taxpayer identification number issued for a nonresident alien, then such deduction, withholding, and payment of state income tax to the department of revenue is required. The act also eliminates the withholding exemption for a payment to a nonresident individual who performs services in connection with a film production for less than 120 days in a calendar year. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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