Fi24. When may an eligible production company claim a film infrastructure tax credit pursuant to section 457 of the Michigan Business Tax Act ("MBTA"). MCL 208.1457.

In order to claim a film infrastructure tax credit, an eligible production company must submit an investment expenditure certificate signed by the Film Commissioner to the Department of Treasury, together with its Michigan Business Tax ("MBT") return for the applicable tax year. MCL 208.1457(7). The Michigan Film Office will issue an investment expenditure certificate signed by the Film Commissioner - the document that actually entitles the production company to a film infrastructure tax credit in a specified dollar amount - to an eligible taxpayer after a thorough review of that taxpayer's written request. Eligible taxpayers must submit form "MFO 005-2008" titled "Film Infrastructure Investment Expenditure Certificate" to the Michigan Film Office to obtain a signed investment expenditure certificate. Both the form and information on audit requirements are available at the Film Office web site at http://www.michiganfilmoffice.org/For-Producers/Incentives/Default.aspx.

The Department of Treasury has determined that an eligible taxpayer must claim or assign a film infrastructure tax credit received pursuant to section 457 of the MBTA in the tax year in which the investment expenditure certificate, signed by the Film Commissioner, is issued by the Michigan Film Office. An eligible taxpayer may not claim the credit on its MBT tax return for a prior tax year (whether or not an MBT return for that year has already been filed), and similarly, the company may not choose to hold onto the credit and claim or assign it in a later tax year.

Once eligible taxpayers have submitted their applications for an investment expenditure certificate, they should allow approximately 60 days for review of the application as provided in statute (MCL 208.1457(5)), assuming the application and required supporting documentation is complete and additional information is not required. Statute also provides that should additional information be required, the review may take longer than 60 days (MCL 208.1457(5)).