Special Tax Proposed on Popcorn and Candy in D.C. Movie Theaters

Plan to help build theaters in Anacostia

The calories might be empty, but the price of popcorn in the District could get a little heavier.

Mayor Vincent Gray has floated a plan to levy a 5 percent sales tax on popcorn, Junior Mints, M&M's and any other concessions sold at District movie theaters, the Washington Business Journal first reported.

The D.C. Office of Motion Picture and TV Development released the following statement on the project Thursday morning:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray proposed legislation that would facilitate the opening of a movie theater east of the Anacostia River and lure more production business to the District.  The new legislation would impose an additional 5% sales tax on District movie theater food concessions.

Three-quarters of the income from the tax would go towards the new theater in the Southeast, and the other 25 percent would be used to offer incentives to film productions in the District.

The proposed bill would reduce the overall tax incentives to filmmakers who shoot in the city, which currently comes from other sources, according to the Business Journal.  The current incentives would be replaced with 25 percent of the money raised by the new proposed popcorn tax.

Mayor Gray's administration has placed an emphasis on working with the District's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development to bring more TV and film production to the D.C.
 

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