The HITS Act Explained: A Game-Changer for Independent Music Creators
Learn how the HITS Act enhances opportunities for independent artists, producers, and labels through immediate tax relief on U.S.-based recording expenses.
Tax Considerations for Touring Artists and Companies
Planning a tour? Don’t overlook the tax implications. Learn how to navigate international VAT, U.S. state withholding, and local tax rules to keep your tour on track and compliant.
Artists Touring in North America – State Withholding Tax Reductions
Ready to go on tour? Prager Metis experts focus on tax planning and budgeting so you can focus on performing.
The UK’s Foreign Entertainers Unit: What Every Global Entertainer & Sports Figure Needs to Know
This insightful article explaining the UK's Foreign Entertainers Unit (FEU), a specialist division of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), that oversees tax payments for non-UK performers, artists, entertainers, and sportspersons who perform in the UK.
Social Media Influencer Revenue Streams: Beware of Tax Implications
Social media influencers are disrupting the entertainment industry, but with various income streams come complex tax implications. Learn about the UK tax requirements for influencers and how to avoid financial pitfalls.
When Is Fair Use…Fair?
The music industry faces a new challenge: AI's role in creativity.
A Tuneful Example of AI’s Current And Future Impact on One Business
AI generative models are changing how entertainers create, work together, and connect with fans.
Metadata equals money. Monetize your creations.
Listen to the latest insights from Susan Hoffnagle from our Royalties group, where she explains what recording artists should consider when creating new music. Contact Susan at royalties@pragermetis.com and learn more about our royalty services. https://youtube.com/shorts/5j4fZWPZiSg?feature=share
How to Maximize Your Touring Budget: Contact Your CPA
Are your touring costs eating into your profit margins? Learn the key considerations in budget planning and tax strategies while working with experts to help maximize your touring budget and increase your profit margins. Read the latest insights from Thomas Smith, Entertainment Industry Leader now.
Top 3 Tips Recording Artists Must Do Before Releasing Any Music
Listen to insights from Chris Hovious from our PM Royalty Department where he explains the top 3 tips recording artists must do before releasing any music.
When is the best time to carry out a Royalty audit?
Listen to the latest insights from Austin Jacobs, Partner, from our PM London office. When is the best time to carry out a Royalty audit?
Everything You Need to Know About Shuttered Venue Operator Grants
The Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 signed into law on December 27, 2020 includes a $15 billion grant program that will be administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) to provide financial aid to struggling live
Valuation Theory & Your Life: Why What Happened to The King of Pop’s Estate Should Matter to You
In the last few years, some of entertainment’s most iconic performers have left us. Both Prince and David Bowie passed in 2016, and just this year we lost Aretha Franklin. It seems a lot more recent, but it has been almost ten years since Michael Jackson passed away at age 50.
Craig A. Manzino Mentioned in the Long Island Business News March 2018
Craig A. Manzino, a Partner-in-Charge of the Business Management Group of Prager Metis CPAs, a member of Prager Metis International Group was mentioned in the in the Long Island Business News March 2018
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and Its Impact on the Entertainment Industry
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”) was signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017. It has been hailed as the largest overhaul of the US federal income tax since 1986. While many diverse industries will realize significant changes, tax-wise, as a result of the passage of the TCJA, there are provisions that have a significant impact upon the media and entertainment industries.
Being a Trusted Advisor to Authors
With the business landscape changing, and traditional job roles no longer fitting into narrowly defined boxes, this is an important time to highlight what accountants do and what the role of being a trusted advisor means. While this article covers various accounting issues that impact authors, much of this content applies to those who work as independent contractors. The expense of hiring a professional accountant is a real obstacle for many.
Simon Winters Featured in a Music Week, December 15th 2017
Simon Winters was featured in a Music Week article. The article is entitled "Cutting corners on your professional advisors is a false economy": Why Accountants Matter More Than Ever to the Biz. Read more here.
7 Tips For Artists To Check Their Royalties
Whether you’re an independent artist or signed to a label, you should be receiving some sort of accounting for streams, sales and other kinds of exploitation of your material. Independent artists will get sales reports from their distributor (Tunecore, CD Baby, etc.) while signed artists will receive royalty statements from their record label (for the purpose of this article, all forms of reporting will be referred to as “statements”). But some things fall through the cracks and it never hurts to check.
Streaming Money: A Back-Of-The-Envelope Analysis
A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with a friend of mine, a very talented musician who opted for a career in tech. When explaining his choice, he told me that “musicians don’t make money like they used to.” What he really meant by that was “nobody buys music anymore, everybody streams music, streaming doesn’t pay enough.” He is right.
Performing in the UK: Notes for US Performers
There have been some remarkable developments in the UK these last few months, not least of which the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. This will have absolutely no effect on US entertainers performing in the UK or continental Europe. There will still be visa issues, immigration in and out the UK, and British beer will remain warm and heartening.
Wage Equality May Change How Hollywood Does Business
Written by Roman Katz, Edited by Harold B. Peterson, Jr. It has been more than 50 years since the 1963 Equal Pay Act was signed into law.
Briefing Notes #2 – Media Entertainment Updates
In this issue we cover five topics; Tax averaging for artists/composers Central Withholding Agreements in USA
Briefing Notes #1 Touring the USA
This is a general briefing guide to some of the problems that can be encountered when touring the USA, in particular, the US Centralised Withholding Agreement (CWA) arrangement for managers of UK acts who intend to tour the USA. It is a practical guide and not a definitive statement of practice or the law. The practice of the law in respect of visas, taxation and CWA’s is constantly changing depending on all number of circumstances.
Lights, Camera, Action and Tax Cut!
Movie Production Incentives (hereinafter “MPIs”) are tax benefits offered on a state-by-state basis throughout the United States to entice, as applicable, in-state film production and post-production activities. The state-by-state legislative histories and policies driving MPIs are clearly aimed at increasing economic growth at the state and local levels through filmmaking and television production throughout the United States while curtailing the departure of movie production to other countries. While the applicable qualifying production activities vary from state-to-state many common qualified production activities include, but are not limited to, feature films, television series, relocated television series, television pilots and television movies.
Prager Metis Can Help you Acquire Warner Music Group Assets
Prager Metis Partner Austin Jacobs has teamed up with Wiggin, a leading media law firm to offer potential purchasers of Warner Music Group assets, a combined advisory package. Please click here for more information.
What You Should Know and Do When You Review Your Royalty Statements
Chris Hull recently presented at am AIMP event entitled What You Should Know and Do When You Review Your Royalty Statements. The objective of this program is to review issues to consider as your royalty statements come in for new media as well as traditional distribution channels and to recommend best practices for independent publisher/writer recipients to follow in order to monitor the accounting for use of their works, when to consult with a professional auditor, and what to expect at that level of examination.