Kevin Costner lobbies Utah for more tax rebates for films

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kevin Costner wants Utah lawmakers to pass legislation that would give more tax rebates to film productions that shoot in Utah. Costner told the Deseret News this week that he hopes lawmakers pass a proposal to exempt rural productions from an existing cap on the amount of taxes productions can receive back from the state’s Motion Picture Incentive Program. The program allows productions to get back 20-25% of the taxes they pay on direct production expenditures, including goods, services, wages and income, up to $8.3 million. Costner said he has several movies he would like to film in Utah, but doing so will depend on the rebates offered.