Following in the footsteps of the recent film incentives in Arkansas, Washington State now too has incentives to lure moviemakers to their large state. On April 15th, governor Christine Gregoire signed the SBH 2042 bill, which increases the Motion Picture Competitiveness program tax incentive from 20 to 30 percent.
The increase to a 30 percent production tax incentive makes Washington State more competitive as a filming location and promises to bring significant economic development to the state in the form of immediate job creation and production spending in the local economy.
The incentive is targeting productions in the $2 million to $15 million range. At this budget level, productions will hire Washington’s local cast and crew, as well as rent equipment from local vendors rather than fly equipment and crew in from California. This allows for production spending to be done in-state.
“For every industry, Washington must do what it can to attract new business and create new jobs,” says Gregoire. “Along with Washington’s beautiful locations, this legislation ensures our state is providing the right business environment that’s appealing to producers and directors.”
The bill was passed in part thanks to WashingtonFilmWorks (WFW), a non-profit organization that manages the state’s film program. Since its launch in 2007, WFW has assisted in bringing 22 productions to the state including 11 features, four movies of the week and seven commercials. WFW raises $3.5 million each year, which is used to give incentives to qualified productions.
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