House Bill 293  proposes to establish the Montana Media Production and Postproduction tax credit programs. The details of the programs are as follows:

• Creates a transferable tax credit equal to:
  • 20% of qualified production expenditures (excluding compensation) incurred during preproduction, production, and postproduction;
  • 25% of payments made to each below-the-line resident (15% for a below-the-line nonresident) up to $150,000 in credits per person;
  • 25% of the 1st $10 million paid to each actor, director, producer, or writer; and,
  • 30% of payments made to student workers who are enrolled in a Montana college or university and who works on the production for college credit-up to $50,000 in credits per person;
• Allows the following additional credits in addition to those above but only up to a maximum aggregate credit of 35%:
  • 10% of payments made to a Montana college or university for stage rentals, equipment rentals, or location fees for filming on campus;
  • 10% of all in-studio facility and equipment rental expenditures for a production that rents a studio for 20 days or more;
  • 5% of production expenditures incurred in underserved areas; and,
  • 10% of the base investment when production includes a Montana screen credit;
• Requirements:
• Apply and pay a $500 application fee before the start of principal photography;
• Plan to spend a minimum base investment of $350,000 for film and television projects or $50,000 for certain low-budget projects (e.g. commercials, music videos, etc.);
• Withhold 6.9% on all payments to a loan out company;
• Costs submitted for the incentive must be audited by an independent certified public accountant; and,
• Claim the full amount of the credit against the production company's liability or transfer in whole or in part at a rate of no less than $0.88 of the dollar value of the tax credit.

• Provides for a nontransferable tax credit equal to 25% of qualified postproduction expenditures;
  • Earn an additional 5% of postproduction costs incurred in an underserved area;
• Requirements:
  • Apply and be approved to claim the credit;
  • See that the majority of the total postproduction work is performed and paid for in-state;
  • See that a majority of equipment purchases and rentals, based on value, are made in-state; and,
  • Postproduction companies may not claim a credit on any production expenditures already claimed through the Media Production Tax Credit.

House Bill 594 proposes to allow a claimant that is owed payment for a credit that has been authorized to submit a bid (prior to August 1, 2019) to the taxation and revenue department with an offer to accept a discount on the amount owed. On or before August 19, 2019, the taxation and revenue department shall prioritize the bids from highest discount to lowest discount. Bids would be approved until the total of payment rebates reaches $100 million. Checks will be issued to approved claimants on or before September 1, 2019. 

Assembly Bill 3883 proposes to amend the Empire State film production tax credit as follows: