Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development to hold public hearing for S. 1866 An Act to Establish Pilot Artist Enterprise Zones.
Monday, October 19th, 10:30am
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002
All are welcome to particpate! If you are unable to attend, but would like to submit testimony in relation to this item, please address your testimony to:
The Honorable Sonia Chang-Diaz, Senate Chair
The Honorable John D. Keenan, House Chair
Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development
State House, Rooms 413-C and 195
Boston, MA 02133
About Artist Enterprise Zones
This act would establish Artist Enterprise Zones in the Cities of Pittsfield, Fitchburg and Lowell. An Artist Enterprise Zone is an economic development zone in a city or town specially designated to stimulate the sale of art. Any sale of a work of art “on location,” in an Artist Enterprise Zone, would be exempt from excise. This legislation authorizes the program for tax years 2009 and 2010.
The Cities of Pittsfield, Fitchburg and Lowell are required to establish Pilot Artist Enterprise Zones by July 1, 2010. The Mayor and City Council of said cities designate an area located downtown as the Artist Enterprise Zone.
Any sale of a work of art “on location,” in an Artist Enterprise Zone, would be exempt from excise.
DOR would establish guidelines to regulate the implementation of this section, requiring evidence relating to the work of art sold as deemed necessary by DOR for the purpose of exemption. DOR may require an annual report of accounting of the number of works sold, type of work and the date of sale. Failure to file such report may terminate one’s eligibility for the exemption.
An artist who is qualified and who makes a claim would be entitled to have the profits/gains from the production and sale of his work of art taken as a reduction from his state taxable income. The total reduction would not exceed $100,000 for any individual artist. The artist must be a resident of the Artist Enterprise Zone.
As a reminder, this legislation is a refile that Sen. Downing filed with Sen. Flanagan to create Artist Enterprise Zones in Pittsfield, Fitchburg and Lowell. We added the City of Lowell this year at the request of SWM chairman Panagiotakos. The bill defines artist enterprise zones as economic development zones in a city or town for the economic stimulus of works of art. The pilot program will be authorized to run in the tax years 2009 and 2010 but of course we can change those dates as necessary depending on the bill’s progress.
A copy of the bill is online: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/186/st01pdf/ST01866.PDF.
Please forward a copy of any and all submitted testimony to the office of Senator Downing at benjamin.downing@state.ma.us
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