Title 26

SECTION 1.181-2

1.181-2 Election to deduct production costs.

§ 1.181-2 Election to deduct production costs.

(a) Election - (1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, an owner may make an election under section 181 to deduct production costs of a production only if that owner has not deducted in a previous taxable year any production costs for that production under any provision of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) other than section 181.

(2) Exception. An owner may make an election under section 181 despite prior deductions under any other provision of the Code for amortization of the costs of acquiring or developing screenplays, scripts, story outlines, motion picture production rights to books and plays, and other similar properties for purposes of potential future development or production of a production, if such costs were paid or incurred before the first taxable year for which an election may be made under § 1.181-2(b) and are included in aggregate production costs.

(b) Time of making election - (1) In general. The election to deduct production costs for a production under section 181 must be made by the due date (including any extension) for filing the owner's Federal income tax return for the first taxable year in which:

(i) Any aggregate production costs have been paid or incurred;

(ii) The owner reasonably expects (based on all of the facts and circumstances) that the production will be set for production and will, upon completion, be a qualified film or television production; and

(iii) For any pre-amendment production, the owner reasonably expects (based on all of the facts and circumstances) that the aggregate production costs paid or incurred for the pre-amendment production will, at no time, exceed the applicable aggregate production costs limit set forth under § 1.181-1(b)(1)(i) or (b)(2).

(2) Special rule. If paragraph (b)(1) of this section is not satisfied until a taxable year subsequent to the taxable year in which any aggregate production costs were first paid or incurred, the owner must make the election for the taxable year in which paragraph (b)(1) of this section is first satisfied, and any production costs paid or incurred prior to the taxable year in which the owner makes the election and not deducted in a prior taxable year are treated as production costs (except costs described in § 1.181-2(a)(2)) that are deductible under § 1.181-1(a)(1)(i) for the taxable year paragraph (b)(1) of this section is first satisfied and the election is made.

(3) Six-month extension. See § 301.9100-2 for a six-month extension of time to make the election in certain circumstances.

(c) Manner of making election - (1) In general. An owner must make the election under section 181 separately for each production. For a production owned by an entity, the election must be made by the entity. For example, if the production is owned by a partnership or S corporation, the partnership or S corporation must make the election.

(2) Information required - (i) Initial election. For each production to which the election applies, the owner must attach a statement to the owner's Federal income tax return for the taxable year of the election stating that the owner is making an election under section 181 and providing -

(A) The name (or other unique identifying designation) of the production;

(B) The date aggregate production costs were first paid or incurred for the production;

(C) The amount of aggregate production costs paid or incurred for the production during the taxable year (including costs described in §§ 1.181-1(a)(3)(v) and 1.181-2(b)(2));

(D) The amount of qualified compensation (as defined in § 1.181-3(d)) paid or incurred for the production during the taxable year (including costs described in § 1.181-2(b)(2));

(E) The amount of compensation (as defined in § 1.181-3(c)) paid or incurred for the production during the taxable year (including costs described in § 1.181-2(b)(2));

(F) If the owner expects that the aggregate production costs of the production will be significantly paid or incurred in (or, if applicable, if a significant portion of the total number of days of first-unit principal photography will occur in) one or more of the areas specified in § 1.181-1(b)(2)(i), the identity of the area or areas, the amount of aggregate production costs paid or incurred (or the number of days of first-unit principal photography engaged in) for the applicable activities described in § 1.181-1(b)(2)(ii), (b)(2)(iii), or (b)(2)(iv), as applicable, that took place within such areas (including costs described in §§ 1.181-1(a)(3)(v) and 1.181-2(b)(2)), and the aggregate production costs paid or incurred (or the total number of days of first-unit principal photography engaged in) for such activities (whether or not they took place in such areas), for the taxable year (including costs described in §§ 1.181-1(a)(3)(v) and 1.181-2(b)(2));

(G) A declaration that the owner reasonably expects (based on all of the facts and circumstances at the time the election is made) both that the production will be set for production (or has been set for production) and will be a qualified film or television production; and

(H) For any pre-amendment production, a declaration that the owner reasonably expects (based on all of the facts and circumstances at the time the election is made) that the aggregate production costs paid or incurred for the pre-amendment production will not, at any time, exceed the applicable aggregate production costs limit set forth under § 1.181-1(b)(1)(i) or (b)(2).

(ii) Subsequent taxable years. If the owner pays or incurs additional production costs in any taxable year subsequent to the taxable year for which production costs are first deducted under section 181, the owner must attach a statement to its Federal income tax return for that subsequent taxable year providing -

(A) The name (or other unique identifying designation) of the production that was used in the initial election, and any revised name (or unique identifying designation) subsequently used for the production;

(B) The date the aggregate production costs were first paid or incurred for the production;

(D) The amount of qualified compensation paid or incurred for the production during the current taxable year;

(E) The amount of compensation paid or incurred for the production during the current taxable year, and the aggregate amount of compensation paid or incurred for the production in all prior taxable years;

(F) If the owner expects that the aggregate production costs of the production will be significantly paid or incurred in (or, if applicable, if a significant portion of the total number of days of first-unit principal photography will occur in) one or more of the areas specified in § 1.181-1(b)(2)(i), the identity of the area or areas, the amount of aggregate production costs paid or incurred (or the number of days of first-unit principal photography engaged in) for the applicable activities described in § 1.181-1(b)(2)(ii), (b)(2)(iii), or (b)(2)(iv), as applicable, that took place within such areas, and the aggregate production costs paid or incurred (or the number of days of first-unit principal photography engaged in) for such activities (whether or not they took place in such areas), for the current taxable year;

(G) A declaration that the owner continues to reasonably expect (based on all of the facts and circumstances at the end of the current taxable year) both that the production will be set for production (or has been set for production) and will be a qualified film or television production; and

(H) For any pre-amendment production, a declaration that the owner continues to reasonably expect (based on all of the facts and circumstances at the end of the current taxable year) that the aggregate production costs paid or incurred for the pre-amendment production will not, at any time, exceed the applicable aggregate production costs limit set forth under § 1.181-1(b)(1)(i) or (b)(2).

(3) Deductions by more than one person. If more than one person will claim deductions under section 181 with respect to the production for the taxable year, each person claiming the deduction (but not the members of an entity who are issued a Schedule K-1 by the entity with respect to their interest in the production) must provide a list of the names and taxpayer identification numbers of all such persons, the dollar amount that each such person will deduct under section 181, and the information required by paragraph (c)(2) of this section for all such persons. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, whether or not multiple persons form a partnership with respect to the production will be determined in accordance with § 301.7701-3 of this chapter.

(d) Revocation of election - (1) In general. An owner may revoke an election made under this section only with the consent of the Commissioner. Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, an owner seeking consent to revoke an election made under this section must submit a letter ruling request, other than a Form 3115, “Application for Change in Accounting Method,” under the appropriate revenue procedure. See, for example, Rev. Proc. 2011-1, 2011-1 CB 1 (updated annually) (see § 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b) of this chapter).

(2) Consent granted. The Commissioner grants consent to an owner to revoke an election under this section for a particular production if the owner -

(i) Complies with the recapture provisions of § 1.181-4(a)(3) on a timely filed (including any extension) original Federal income tax return for the taxable year of the revocation; and

(ii) Attaches a statement to that Federal income tax return that includes the name of the production that was in the owner's original election statement, and any revised name (or other unique identifying designation) of the production, and a statement that the owner revokes the election under section 181 for that production, pursuant to § 1.181-2(d)(2).

[T.D. 9551, 76 FR 60726, Sept. 30, 2011]