Pennsylvania film industry calls on lawmakers to triple tax incentive
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — For the past several years it's been lights, camera, action for movies and TV shows filming across the Pittsburgh region and state.
That is largely due to a $100 million tax incentive that helps attract productions. Dawn Keezer, executive director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, said to think of this incentive as a 25 percent off coupon you would get at your favorite story.
"For every dollar they spend filming and working in Pennsylvania while they are here, whether they are buying lumber, using a dry cleaner, renting a car," said Keezer, "any of those funds that are spent in Pennsylvania, on Pennsylvania people, in Pennsylvania businesses, Pennsylvania vendors, at the end they are audited and if they spent $100, they get a return of a $25 tax credit."
This incentive generates over $150 million in Western Pennsylvania's economy alone. It has been so successful that the Pennsylvania film industry wants to see that tax incentive increase from $100 million to $300 million in next year's state budget, which means more money into the economy and more local jobs.
"The Pennsylvania film industry statewide employs over 20,000 people that work full time in this industry or get some or part of their income from the film industry," Keezer said. "Southwestern Pennsylvania, we have over 5,000 individuals that work in this industry. These are your friends and neighbors. These aren't people they are bringing in from out of town. Sure, they bring in a few, but on "Mayor of Kingstown," the show that is shooting right now, the Jeremy Renner show, they have 800 people working every single day and those are primarily 95 percent Pennsylvania residents."
Right now, several TV shows are shooting in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. And between those shows and a few others slated to start, the $100 million tax credit is gone, leaving no room for any other productions.
That means productions go to our competitors, places like Canada and neighboring states.
"New York is at $710 million per year," said Keezer. "Again, Pa. is at $100 million. New Jersey went to $450 million per year and Ohio, our neighbors to the west, they went to $80 million this year. They have been at $40 million forever, but why they wanted to increase? They wanted to start competing against Pennsylvania."
Several state representatives, along with local officials like Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, are in favor of this increase.
"We are all competing for dollars from these production companies to come into our city to do films, to do series, to bring tax dollars in," said Olga George, press secretary for Mayor Gainey. "Ultimately, we are about anything that builds and grows the city of Pittsburgh. Be that the film industry. Be that transportation. Whatever the case may be that is going to bring something to the city that makes it a better place to be, that residences and people who are coming into the city want to stay and live. That's what we want."
KDKA-TV reached out to Governor Josh Shapiro's office to see if an increase in the tax incentive would make it into this upcoming state budget but did not hear back.