Entertainment industry qualified production companies; application procedure; categories; duties of the Department of Revenue; records and reports.

(1) PRODUCTION COMPANIES AUTHORIZED TO APPLY.—

(a) Any production company engaged in this state in the production of motion pictures, made-for-TV motion pictures, television series, commercial advertising, music videos, or sound recordings may submit an application to the Department of Revenue to be approved by the department as a qualified production company for the purpose of receiving a sales and use tax certificate of exemption from the Department of Revenue.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “qualified production company” means any production company that has submitted a properly completed application to the Department of Revenue and that is subsequently qualified by the department.

(2) APPLICATION PROCEDURE.—

(a) The Department of Revenue will review all submitted applications for the required information. Within 10 working days after the receipt of a properly completed application, the Department of Revenue will forward the completed application to the department for approval.

(b)1. The department shall establish a process by which an entertainment industry production company may be approved by the department as a qualified production company and may receive a certificate of exemption from the Department of Revenue for the sales and use tax exemptions under ss. 212.06 and 212.08.

2. Upon determination by the department that a production company meets the established approval criteria and qualifies for exemption, the department shall return the approved application or application renewal or extension to the Department of Revenue, which shall issue a certificate of exemption.

3. The department shall deny an application or application for renewal or extension from a production company if it determines that the production company does not meet the established approval criteria.

(c) The department shall develop, with the cooperation of the Department of Revenue and local government entertainment industry promotion agencies, a standardized application form for use in approving qualified production companies.

1. The application form shall include, but not be limited to, production-related information on employment; proposed budgets; planned purchases of items exempted from sales and use taxes under ss. 212.06 and 212.08; a signed affirmation from the applicant that any items purchased for which the applicant is seeking a tax exemption are intended for use exclusively as an integral part of entertainment industry preproduction, production, or postproduction activities engaged in primarily in this state; and a signed affirmation from the department that the information on the application form has been verified and is correct. In lieu of information on projected employment, proposed budgets, or planned purchases of exempted items, a production company seeking a 1-year certificate of exemption may submit summary historical data on employment, production budgets, and purchases of exempted items related to production activities in this state. Any information gathered from production companies for the purposes of this section shall be considered confidential taxpayer information and shall be disclosed only as provided in s. 213.053.