Georgia’s Tax Incentives for Film and Television Add $7.2 Billion to State’s Economy

In 2016, television and film added $7.2 billion to the Georgia economy during FY 2016, according to an article in AdWeek. The 245 in-state productions had a direct impact of $2.02 billion, largely around the Atlanta area. Explore Georgia has the full list of films and television filmed in state for those curious.

This is up almost 50 percent from FY 2013, when 142 productions filmed in state contributed $3.3 million to the economy.

In case you were wondering how the breakdown on a single movie might look, the Atlanta Business Chronicle has you covered with a breakdown from The Fast & Furious 8: The Fate of the Furious. ($3.29 million on hotel rooms alone!)

Georgia is now third behind California and New York for film and television production. There are several contributing factors, including the varied geography and the mild climate that allows for a longer shooting season. However, the largest factor is unquestionably the tax credits program, created by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2005 and expanded by Governor Nathan Deal in 2008 and 2012. It’s about to expand again, if Governor Deal signs the bill allowing tax credits for post-production that was passed by the legislature in March.

Georgia’s incentive program has been very deliberate, and it has expanded an industry that already had the groundwork laid for it by pre-2005 productions (Forrest Gump, My Cousin Vinny, In the Heat of the Night, etc.). Because of the way our program is structured, it lures longer productions — television series that plan to stay for several years. Further, Georgia has recently graduated the first class of the Georgia Film Academy, creating a trained workforce readymade for the productions that locate here. Five universities and four technical colleges participate in the GFA.