Kevin Costner lobbies Utah for extra tax rebates for movie manufacturing

SALT LAKE CITY — Kevin Costner, the Academy Award-winning actor-director recognized for movies akin to “Dances With Wolves” and the present TV hit “Yellowstone,” is lobbying Utah lawmakers to supply extra tax rebates to movies that select to shoot in rural components of the state.

Costner advised the Deseret Information that he has a number of motion pictures he wish to movie in Utah, however doing so will depend upon the end result of Senate Invoice 49, which is at present into account within the Utah Legislature.

“My greatest hope is that the state backs SB49 and that dream turns into a actuality,” he stated. “I don’t actually wish to go anyplace else with these 5 motion pictures.”

Utah and different states have more and more ratcheted up the scale of incentives they provide to movie and TV productions as a part of efforts to compete for his or her enterprise.

Utah at present gives as much as $8.3 million in tax rebates yearly to productions that selected to movie within the state. Beneath the Utah Movie Fee’s Movement Image Incentive Program, productions might be refunded 20-25 % of the taxes they pay on direct manufacturing expenditures, together with items, companies, wages and earnings, as much as the utmost allowed quantity.

Senate Invoice 49 would carry the $8.3 million cap for productions filmed in rural areas of the state. Republican State Sen. Ron Winterton, the proposal’s sponsor, argues that rising the scale of incentives will draw extra movies to areas of the state with small, usually tourism-reliant economies.

Proponents argue that manufacturing spending and the publicity from movies shot within the state justify pouring tax income into incentive applications, which draw from the state’s basic fund.

Costner’s push comes years after ’Yellowstone” moved most of its manufacturing from Utah to Montana after lawmakers there elevated the scale of that state’s incentive program.

Costner’s legal professional advised The Deseret Information that Costner would possible selected to not shoot movies together with his upcoming Western “Horizon” in Utah until the state provided extra incentives.