Film Incentive Reform Act of 2014

Summary: Film Incentive Reform Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2015 the election to expense the cost of qualified film, television, and theatrical productions; and (2) include theatrical productions in such expensing allowance. Defines "theatrical production" as a live staged production of a play derived from a written book or script and&nbsp;produced or presented in any venue which has an audience capacity of more than 3,000.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Film Incentive Reform Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION AND EXTENSION OF ELECTION TO EXPENSE THE COST OF 
              QUALIFIED FILM, TELEVISION, AND THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS.

    (a) Extension.--Section 181(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
is amended by striking ``December 31, 2013'' and inserting ``December 
31, 2015''.
    (b) Modification of Qualified Film, Television and Theatrical 
Productions to Which Section Applies.--
            (1) In general.--Section 181(d) of such Code is amended to 
        read as follows:
    ``(d) Qualified Film, Television, or Theatrical Production.--For 
purposes of this section--
            ``(1) In general.--The term `qualified film, television, or 
        theatrical production' means--
                    ``(A) any film or television production if 100 
                percent of the total compensation of the film or 
                television production is compensation for services 
                performed in the United States, and
                    ``(B) any theatrical production if 75 percent of 
                the total compensation of the theatrical production is 
                qualified compensation.
            ``(2) Film or television production.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `film or television 
                production' means property described in section 
                168(f)(3).
                    ``(B) Special rule for television series.--In the 
                case of a television series--
                            ``(i) each episode of such series shall be 
                        treated as a separate production, and
                            ``(ii) only the first 44 episodes of such 
                        series shall be taken into account.
            ``(3) Theatrical production.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `theatrical production' 
                means 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 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.
                    ``(B) Touring companies.--In the case of multiple 
                live staged productions for which an election under 
                this section is made by the same taxpayer and which 
                are--
                            ``(i) separate phases of a production, or
                            ``(ii) separate simultaneous stagings of 
                        the same production in different geographical 
                        locations (not including multiple performance 
                        locations of any one touring production),
                each such live staged production shall be treated as a 
                separate production.
                    ``(C) Phases.--For purposes of subparagraph (B), 
                the term `phase' refers to each of the following (but 
                only if the taxpayer treats each of the following as a 
                separate activity for all purposes of this title):
                            ``(i) The initial staging of the 
                        production.
                            ``(ii) Subsequent additional stagings or 
                        tourings of the production which are produced 
                        by the same producer as the initial staging.
                    ``(D) Qualified compensation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--For purposes of 
                        paragraph (1)(B), the term `qualified 
                        compensation' means compensation for services 
                        performed in the United States by actors, 
                        directors, musicians, producers, and other 
                        production and post-production personnel.
                            ``(ii) Participations and residuals 
                        excluded.--For purposes of paragraph (1)(B) and 
                        clause (i), the term `compensation' does not 
                        include participations and residuals (as 
                        defined in section 167(g)(7)(B)).
            ``(4) Exception.--The term `qualified film, television, or 
        theatrical production' shall not include any production if 
        records are required under section 2257 of title 18, United 
        States Code, to be maintained with respect to any performer in 
        such production.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Subsections (a)(1), (a)(2)(A), (a)(2)(B), (b), 
                and (c)(1) of section 181 of such Code are each amended 
                by striking ``any qualified film or television 
                production'' and inserting ``any qualified film, 
                television, or theatrical production''.
                    (B) Section 181(f) of such Code is amended by 
                striking ``qualified film and television productions'' 
                and inserting ``any qualified film, television, or 
                theatrical production''.
                    (C) The heading of section 181 is amended by 
                striking ``qualified film and television productions'' 
                and inserting ``qualified film, television, and 
                theatrical productions''.
                    (D) The item relating to section 181 in the table 
                of sections for part VI of subchapter B of chapter 1 of 
                such Code is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 181. Treatment of certain qualified film, television, and 
                            theatrical productions.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to qualified film, television, and theatrical productions 
commencing after December 31, 2013.