(NEW YORK CITY) - Actors’ Equity Association, the National Union representing more than 51,000 Professional Performers and Stage Managers working in live theatre, is applauding the reintroduction of the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA) in the U.S. Senate by Senator Mark Warner (Democrat-Virginia) and Senator Thom Tillis (Republican-North Carolina).

This Bill, like its companion introduced in the House earlier this year, corrects an unintended consequence of prior tax reform efforts, which led to tax increases for many Performing Artists who could no longer deduct the cost of their ordinary and necessary unreimbursed business expenses.

Working Theatre Artists may typically spend 20% to 30% of their income on necessary expenses - such as to pay for travel to auditions or a talent agent - to stay in the business and to procure employment.

Actors’ Equity Association President Brooke Shields said: “With just a few weeks until Tax Day, Senator Tillis and Senator Warner could not have better timed this critically important bipartisan Bill that would mean Actors, Stage Managers and other Creative Professionals won’t have to pay hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars more in taxes simply due to common business costs like their agents and managers fees and travel to auditions. I’m grateful for the leadership of Senator Tillis and Senator Warner and look forward to working with them as we fight to make this bill law.”

A House version of the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act was introduced by U.S. Representative Judy Chu (Democrat-California) and Vern Buchanan (Republican-Florida) in January.

The legislation has been endorsed by a broad coalition of employers and Unions.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Actors’ Equity Association Welcomes Reintroduction of Bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act in the Senate  · Actors' Equity Association