DPE Applauds Senate Reintroduction of PATPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2025 - Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) reintroduced the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA). By updating the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) deduction’s earnings threshold, PATPA allows middle class, creative professionals to take above-the-line deductions for unreimbursed essential work expenses. PATPA was already reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) in January.
In response to the Senate reintroduction of PATPA, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement:
“I commend Senators Tillis and Warner for reintroducing PATPA, which will put money back into the hands of hardworking professionals.
Many members of DPE affiliated unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries spend 20 to 30 percent of their income on expenses necessary to secure and maintain employment, like headshots, agents and managers, or equipment. Past changes to the tax code caused middle-class, creative professionals to lose their ability to deduct these expenses and unintentionally raised their tax bills significantly. PATPA provides a bipartisan solution that promotes tax fairness by restoring middle-class entertainment workers' ability to deduct legitimate, required work expenses.
DPE encourages Congress to do right by middle-class professionals in the entertainment industry and pass PATPA.”
About DPE
The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.