A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, which proposes a 20 percent base federal tax credit for domestic film and television production. The bill, which allows for stacking with state incentives and includes postproduction and VFX labor costs, aims to curb the migration of production overseas.
The introduction of this bill marks a significant shift in U.S. industrial policy by treating entertainment as a core manufacturing sector. By allowing federal credits to stack with state incentives, the U.S. is attempting to match the aggressive subsidy models used by Canada and Australia to retain high-value VFX and postproduction work. This bipartisan alignment, bolstered by the Trump administration's focus on domestic labor, suggests a rare legislative path forward for an industry struggling with a massive contraction. Watch for the specific reaction from state film offices, as this federal layer could trigger a recalibration of local incentive caps to maximize total production volume.
This legislative effort follows Rep. Brian Jack's caucus which was recently formed to prioritize federal support for domestic production.
Lawmakers have introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, proposing a 20 percent federal tax credit for domestic film and television production. This legislation aims to curb industry job losses by incentivizing domestic labor, allowing the U.S. to compete with international subsidy models and retain high-value production work.
It is a bipartisan legislative proposal that establishes a 20 percent federal tax credit for domestic film and television production expenses to help retain industry jobs.
Projects must have budgets exceeding $1 million and conduct at least 75 percent of their filming within the United States to qualify for the base 20 percent credit.
Yes, the legislation allows for the federal credit to be stacked with existing state-level incentives to maximize the total benefit for production companies.
The legislation specifically exempts news programs, talk shows, live sports, commercials, and social media content from eligibility.
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