In This Issue: Speak Up to Reinstate the Employee Retention Tax Credit; IRS to Non-Itemizers: Donate Now; Shuttered Venue Operators Grants Enter New Phase of Implementation; National Endowment for the Arts Grant News and Updates; Our Year-End Thanks to You!
In This Issue: Employee Retention Tax Credit Curtailed as Infrastructure Bill Passes; New Action Ahead on Shuttered Venue Operators Grants; The Latest on COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Requirements; COVID-19 Travel Bans Lifted: New Policies in Place for International Air Travel; Speak Up Now to Preserve New Charitable Giving Incentives!
In This Issue: Still Time to Act on Arts and Recovery, Reminder! New Charitable Giving Incentives Encourage Donors to Give More, Shuttered Venue Operators Grants: Reporting Requirements Coming Soon, International Guest Artists Experiencing Visa Delays and Complications, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson Nominated to Lead National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Education Legislation Nears Introduction, October is National Arts and Humanities Month
In This Issue: Act Now: Arts and Recovery; Shuttered Venues Grants Enter Supplemental Phase; U.S. to Lift International Travel Restrictions in Early November
The world is sadly aware of the events in Afghanistan and of the danger faced by women, girls, journalists, and all those who helped the Americans during the war. Less visible is the danger faced in Afghanistan by musicians of all ages, and the Taliban’s history of denying the human right of access to music and music-making.
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced policy changes that will support improved visa processing, specifying opportunities for artist visa petitioners.
Please continue to speak up to let your members of Congress know the ways in which COVID relief is supporting your orchestra and your community. While much attention has been given to COVID relief legislation, there are other bills that will need support in the coming weeks and months as well.
Orchestras that engage international guest artists should be aware that the new forms and fees that were to go into effect October 2 have been paused due to a nationwide preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Petitioners should continue to use the current version of the Form I-129 (dated 01/27/20) and $460 filing fee for O and P visas for the time being.
Building on years of advocacy by orchestras in partnership with the broader nonprofit sector, a new universal charitable deduction was created under the CARES Act in March, allowing the growing number of taxpayers who do not itemize their returns to receive a tax deduction of up to $300 per tax return for cash charitable donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations during calendar year 2020.
U.S. petitioners that program international guest artists should prepare for steep fee increases in filing visa petitions with USCIS, effective next Friday, October 2, 2020. New versions of the Form I-129 were to have been released well in advance of this date, but as of September 23, the public is still awaiting approved versions of the new and I-129 forms.