3541: California Motion Picture and Television Production Credit (2025)
California · FTB · Used for tax years 2025
California Form 3541 reports motion picture and television production credits, including soundstage filming credits, and calculates available credits and carryovers. It also reports credit assignments to affiliated corporations and includes an election to make Program 4.0 credits
Who files this form
Use Form FTB 3541 to claim a California Motion Picture and Television Production Credit on your California tax return. The form covers the Original, New, Program 3.0, Soundstage Filming, and Program 4.0 credits, as well as the Refundable Program 4.0 Election.
If you claim more than one credit certificate in the same year, complete a separate Form FTB 3541 for each certificate.
What you'll need
Have the following information ready, as applicable:
- Names and taxpayer identification numbers for the California tax return and the credit owner.
- The year the credit certificate was issued, its certificate number, and the copyright registration number.
- Schedule K-1 information for credits received from or passed through to other entities.
- Amounts of credits generated, purchased, sold, assigned, carried over, or applied against sales and use taxes.
- Names and identification numbers of affiliated corporations involved in credit assignments.
- Form FTB 3544, Part A, column (g), if reporting assigned credit on line 12b.
- California income tax liability information if making the Program 4.0 refundable credit election.
How to file
Attach the completed Form FTB 3541 to your California tax return.
Select the credit checkbox that matches your certificate and complete Part I for that certificate. Complete the other parts as applicable.
If making the Refundable Program 4.0 Election, check that box and complete Part IV before Part II. Attach the completed form to the taxpayer's original timely filed return. The election is irrevocable.
The supplied form does not provide a mailing address or e-file directions.
Common mistakes
- Do not combine multiple credit certificates on one form. Use a separate form for each certificate.
- Check only one credit box unless you are both claiming the nonrefundable Program 4.0 credit and electing to make the credit exceeding tax refundable. In that case, check the last two boxes.
- Do not include assigned credit claimed on Form FTB 3544, Part B, in line 12a.
- If you are not a corporation, enter 0 on line 12b.
- Do not complete Part IV if you have purchased credits.
- If Part IV, line 22, is zero or less, stop. You do not qualify to elect a refundable credit.
Questions people ask
Which credit box matches my certificate number?
Use Original for certificate numbers 1000–4999, New for 5000–6999, Program 3.0 for 7000–7999, Soundstage Filming for 8000–8199, and Program 4.0 for 8200 and higher.
Can I change the Program 4.0 refundable credit election later?
The form states that the election is irrevocable.
How does the form calculate the refundable Program 4.0 amount?
For 2025, Part IV subtracts the California income tax liability entered on line 21 from the Program 4.0 credit amount on line 20. If the result is positive, line 23 multiplies it by 90% to calculate the total refundable amount. Line 24 multiplies that amount by 20% to calculate the annual refundable amount available for each year of the refundable period.
Could my 2025 refundable credit claim be less than the annual refundable amount?
Yes. Line 25 states that the amount claimed may be less than line 24 if the credit is limited by the $5,000,000 credit limitation. Line 26 calculates the refundable credit carryover by subtracting line 25 from line 24.