Kansas Film Commission official seeks more tax breaks for filmmakers

? The Kansas Film Commission’s manager says rules for an income tax credit need to be rewritten to lure more film productions to the state.

Peter Jasso says Kansas is losing out on big productions because other states are more generous.

In Kansas, a production company can claim a tax credit equal to 30 percent of its in-state expenditures. Total credits are capped at $2 million a year.

Jasso said for 2011 about $200,000 in credits have been claimed.

He says one issue is that Kansas doesn’t give a refund if a company’s credit is greater than its taxes. Kansas also doesn’t allow a production company to sell its credit to other businesses, as other states do.

Jasso testified Wednesday before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Arts and Cultural Resources.