MEDIA-Credit: MEDIA Credit Application (Form MEDIA-Credit) (2024)
Montana · Montana DOR · Used for tax years 2024
Form MEDIA-Credit is Montana’s application to the Department of Revenue for the MEDIA credit. It reports production details, the credit amount requested, the credit year, and information about supporting costs, the CPA report, and the application fee.
Who files this form
The person or company that applied for the media credit with the Montana Department of Commerce is responsible for submitting this application to the Montana Department of Revenue.
For example, if a production company applied with the Department of Commerce, that company must submit this application, even if it is wholly owned by a parent company. The credit would be issued to the production company.
What you'll need
Have the following ready:
- Applicant name, FEIN, mailing address, and contact information.
- Production name and type, credit amount requested, principal photography dates, and Media Credit Year.
- Department of Commerce application submission date and production number. The production number is in the Montana Film Office certification letter.
- Tax years being combined, if you elect to combine years.
- CPA Report, the CPA's Montana license number, and the report's submission date. The CPA must be authorized to practice in Montana.
- Application fee and the MEDIA Credit payment voucher available at MTRevenue.gov.
- Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of people authorized to discuss the application.
The “Submission of Costs” includes the application fee and records supporting the credit. Supporting records may include:
- The Department of Revenue's media credit spreadsheet.
- General ledgers, invoices, and purchase orders.
- Earnings reports, payroll reports, and check stubs.
- Form Media-Comp for each employee and loan-out.
- Loan-out withholding agreements and verification of withholding payments.
- Other documentation supporting qualification for the credit.
How to file
Submit the application to the Montana Department of Revenue after completing principal photography. The application must be submitted with your CPA Report.
- Upload supporting documentation for the Submission of Costs and the CPA Report to Montana's File Transfer System.
- Provide the fee with the MEDIA Credit payment voucher available at MTRevenue.gov. Follow the voucher's payment instructions.
- Have someone with contractual authority to bind the production company sign the application, such as an officer, manager, or designated employee.
- List everyone authorized to discuss the application. Attach additional names if the form does not have enough space.
The fee is:
- $500 if the base investment is less than $350,000.
- $1,000 if the base investment is $350,000 or more.
- $1,000 for a postproduction company applying for the postproduction credit.
You may submit the Submission of Costs separately from the application, and you may submit its documentation and fee separately. The supplied text does not give a mailing address or a separate electronic submission method for the application form itself.
For questions, call (406) 444-6900 or Montana Relay at 711 for people with hearing impairments.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the CPA Report or fee. The application must be submitted with the CPA Report, and the fee is required for the application to be complete.
- Omitting the CPA's Montana license number. The form requires this number, and the CPA must be authorized to practice in Montana.
- Using the wrong submission date. For the Department of Commerce application, the date reflects submission of both the application and its fee. For the Submission of Costs, if the documentation and fee are not provided together, use the later of the documentation upload date or the check's postmark date.
- Failing to update authorized contacts. To add or remove authorized people, resubmit the form with the changes. This does not create a new credit application.
- Forgetting the expense add-back when claiming the credit. The production company must add back expenses on the return claiming the credit. If years are combined, expenses from the combined years must be added back on that return.
Questions people ask
What is the Media Credit Year?
It is the first year the credit can be claimed or transferred. The form ties it to the year production expenses were incurred and whether the Submission of Costs was submitted within 60 days of principal photography.
Can I combine tax years for a production?
Yes. Productions spanning more than one calendar year may elect to combine credit years into the most recent calendar year. A production company may instead submit separate applications for each year.
Can I submit the Submission of Costs separately?
Yes. You may submit it separately from the application. Its supporting documentation and application fee may also be submitted separately, but both are part of the Submission of Costs.
Does submitting the application reserve my credit?
Credit is reserved on a first-in-time basis when a complete application is submitted. A complete application includes the Submission of Costs and CPA Report. After review, if the Department of Revenue determines the application is complete, the requested credit amount will be reserved.
What dates count as the beginning and end of principal photography?
The beginning date is the starting date of shooting. The ending date is when the production has completed wrap. Principal photography is the period when the project's fundamental component is materialized in Montana.