URGENT REQUEST: Florida Entertainment Industry Sales Tax Exemption Program

As you are likely aware, Florida’s Entertainment Industry Sales Tax Exemption Program provides that any qualified production company producing motion pictures, made for television motion pictures, television series, commercial advertising, music videos, or sound recordings in Florida may be eligible for a sales-and-use tax exemption on certain production related purchases in Florida. This is an important tool to encourage production projects to come our state.

Often times during the course of the Legislature’s work in Tallahassee, state programs are scrutinized and as a strong supporter of the film, television and digital media production industry in Florida, we need your help! We are collecting letters from the industry outlining why the Entertainment Industry Sales Tax Exemption Program needs to be protected. We believe this support is critical to sending the message that Florida is open for business and remains interested in recruiting films and television shows.

We need each of you to send us a short letter that we will gather and hand-deliver at the appropriate time, demonstrating your support for preserving the sales tax exemption. Reply to this e-mail (info@FilmFlorida.org) and send your letter as a Word or PDF attachment (on company letterhead if available). Please be sure to address your letter to the Florida Legislature and include your name, your company’s name (if applicable), and your profession. It is paramount that you articulate the negative impact you or your company would face if your taxes were raised as a result of the sales tax exemption going away. Even if you do not work directly in the industry, if you would be negatively impacted, the legislature needs to hear from you.

Below you will find a sample letter for you to follow. However, it’s extremely important that each letter be YOUR STORY in YOUR WORDS. Please do not just copy and paste our sample letter. When finished, please send your letter to info@FilmFlorida.org.

Regards,

Gail Morgan

President, Film Florida

My name is Joseph Smith and I work for XYZ Company in Winter Haven, FL. I respectfully ask that you preserve the Entertainment Industry Sales Tax Exemption Program.

We are a small company. In my 12 years working in this industry, we have utilized the sales tax exemption on numerous occasions, and it has allowed us to hire 2 new people in that time OR having the sales tax exemption has allowed us to purchase equipment that we otherwise would not have been able to afford. If we lost the Entertainment Industry Sales Tax Exemption Program it would be a tax increase on my business, something that would be difficult for us to absorb. (BE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR OWN PERSONAL STORY)

Thank you for your support and your efforts.

(SIGNED)