ATLANTA — Some Georgia lawmakers are saying they want to make the film industry work a little harder to get the state’s tax credit, a system that helped turn the state into one of the film industry's top destinations.
Filmmakers have said Georgia’s film tax credit is a big reason why they’ve set up shop in the area in such a big way. One way to earn the tax credit is to put Georgia’s peach logo on the tail end of a film.
But now lawmakers want filmmakers to do more.
House Speaker Jon Burns was among the legislative leaders who announced a desire to rein in the tax credit ever so slightly. With scores of lobbyists in the Capitol watching, they announced a plan to limit how much filmmakers would benefit from transferring their credits out of state, which is something they can do, while adding more requirements for hiring and investment in the state. This can include more in-state hiring, more shoots in rural Georgia and more production facilities.
"We've heard a lot of talk about this with our film tax credit, which has been very, very successful in Georgia. We want to make sure we streamline our tax credit so we continue to get the absolute, absolute best return on that investment for Georgia," Burns said.
Lawmakers said it would strengthen the partnership between the state and the film industry.
"We’re certainly not limiting the credit at all. What we’re trying to do is provide more value and provide a better return on investment for the taxpayers and sustaining the credit at the same time so that industry has an opportunity to continue to thrive," said state Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire).
A 2022 study at Kennesaw State University showed that the average household in Georgia paid $220 annually to support the film tax credit, which supports an industry that has created sizable infrastructure and thousands of jobs.
"This is all about using the taxpayers' dollars in the most effective and efficient manner," said state Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), who once proposed a cap on the film tax credit but quickly withdrew it.
Most states cap their film industry tax credits. Georgia doesn't, and there's no new proposal to do that.