Lights, Camera, Tax Credits: A Peachy Deal for Hollywood, but What About Georgia Taxpayers?

Illustration by Brittney Phan (State Affairs)

Key Points
  • Hundreds of movies and TV shows filmed in Georgia since 2005 have drummed up more than $24 billion in economic activity.
  • Supporters trace the film industry’s local boom to tax credits worth billions of dollars.
  • Critics say film out-of-state companies benefit too much by selling tax credits to the tune of $2.9 billion since 2016.
Tax incentives worth billions of dollars have helped bring big-budget movies and TV shows to Georgia, but are local taxpayers giving up too much to Hollywood? Georgia has become the “Hollywood of the South,” hosting more movie and television productions than any state in the U.S. outside California and New York. With the burst in film activity has come scrutiny of Georgia’s film tax credits, which allow movie and TV producers to use up to 30% of what they spend locally ...