A message in honor of Tax Day from Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises.
Dear Massachusetts Taxpayer:
A year ago I was a sad sack just like you, cutting a check to the Department of Revenue. Then I learned about the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit. And now I understand that in the creative economy, it’s not about the taxes you pay, it’s about the taxes you don’t pay.
Let me explain. Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises is a family-run business consisting of myself and my sister and brother-in-law. We specialize in cinema verite depictions of the Massachusetts urban landscape, including these soon-to-be classics:
“Mystic Riverbank”® (2007). What happens when you park your car in the Assembly Square Mall parking lot and point your webcam east for an hour? Mystic Riverbank® will open your eyes to the fascinating world of seagulls and flotsam. “Good Twill Hunting”® (2008). Shot entirely from a pants rack at the Men’s Wearhouse in Quincy, this short subject captures and ebb and flow of a retail establishment on a weekday morning, showcasing the camcorder feature of the Motorola MotoRazr V6M cellphone. Without the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit, neither of these important films would have been made. Here’s how it works. For each movie, the three of us at Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises ponied up some dough for our salaries (what the Film Tax Credit people call “production costs”). In return, we received a quarter of that money back as a tax credit! Now – and this is key – this credit is not some rinky-dink “deduction” or “exemption,” where, once the taxes you owe have been reduced to zero, the party’s over. We are talking cold, hard cash sent right to your door by the state of Massachusetts. The Film Tax Credit is what has enabled us to “grow” the Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises “brand” into the thriving business it is today.
Which brings us to some very exciting news. We are pleased to announce our biggest-ever Film Tax Credit project: “The Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises Story: Making the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit Work for You”®. This full-length video has everything you need to become a part of the creative economy yourself. You will learn:
The lingo. What qualifies as a “motion picture” (you’d be surprised!). What qualifies as a “digital media project” (even easier!). How to substantiate your tax credit claim (including some humorous do’s and don’ts from our CFO!). And much, much more! Rumor has it that “The Cecil B. DeMillion Enterprises Story” is under consideration for showing at the Woods Hole Film Festival this summer. But why wait? Order now – you owe it to yourself and to the creative economy!
