A taxpayer may elect to treat the cost of any qualified film or television production, and any qualified live theatrical production, as an expense which is not chargeable to capital account. Any cost so treated shall be allowed as a deduction.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to so much of the aggregate cost of any qualified film or television production or any qualified live theatrical production as exceeds $15,000,000.
With respect to the basis of any qualified film or television production or any qualified live theatrical production to which an election is made under subsection (a), no other depreciation or amortization deduction shall be allowable.
An election under this section with respect to any qualified film or television production or any qualified live theatrical production shall be made in such manner as prescribed by the Secretary and by the due date (including extensions) for filing the taxpayer’s return of tax under this chapter for the taxable year in which costs of the production are first incurred.
The term “qualified film or television production” means any production described in paragraph (2) if 75 percent of the total compensation of the production is qualified compensation.
A production is described in this paragraph if such production is property described in section 168(f)(3).
A production is not described in this paragraph if records are required under section 2257 of title 18, United States Code, to be maintained with respect to any performer in such production.
The term “qualified compensation” means compensation for services performed in the United States by actors, production personnel, directors, and producers.
The term “compensation” does not include participations and residuals (as defined in section 167(g)(7)(B)).
The term “qualified live theatrical production” means any production described in paragraph (2) if 75 percent of the total compensation of the production is qualified compensation (as defined in subsection (d)(3)).
A production is described in this paragraph if such production is a live staged production of a play (with or without music) which is derived from a written book or script and is produced or presented by a taxable entity in any venue which has an audience capacity of not more than 3,000 or a series of venues the majority of which have an audience capacity of not more than 3,000.
In the case of a live staged production not described in subparagraph (B) which is produced or presented by a taxable entity for not more than 10 weeks of the taxable year, subparagraph (A) shall be applied by substituting “6,500” for “3,000”.
For purposes of clause (i), in the case of any taxable year of less than 12 months, the number of weeks for which a production is produced or presented shall be annualized by multiplying the number of weeks the production is produced or presented during such taxable year by 12 and dividing the result by the number of months in such taxable year.
A production is not described in this paragraph if such production includes or consists of any performance of conduct described in section 2257(h)(1) of title 18, United States Code.
For purposes of this section, rules similar to the rules of subsections (b)(2) and (c)(4) of section 194 shall apply.
This section shall not apply to qualified film and television productions or qualified live theatrical productions commencing after December 31, 2025.