Of course you loved seeing all the relatives over the Thanksgiving holiday. But there's only so much family time a person can take, right?
So after the eating and shopping, maybe you slipped out to catch a movie. There certainly was something at multiplexes for everyone this holiday.
We have Tangled for the kiddos, Burlesque for musical fans (and Cher groupies), the chick flick Love and Other Drugs, Faster for action film aficionados and The King's Speech for British history buffs (and Colin Firth fans).
The annual year-end releases are not new. Movie makers know that holidays are a good time to offer diversions other than overeating. More films will be out, at least in limited release, before Dec. 31 so they can be considered for Academy Awards.
But what is different this year is that more states have abandoned tax subsidies for video productions.
Since 2005, states have granted $3.5 billion in incentives to makers of films, television shows and commercials, according to a Tax Foundation calculation for Bloomberg Businessweek.
But with states facing $72 billion in budget deficits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, some are concluding that they're not getting back from Hollywood what they're giving in tax benefits.
In addition to running the numbers for the magazine, the Tax Foundation's Tax Policy Blog put together a nifty map showing when the 44 states that offer (or offered) such film and/or TV production tax breaks first enacted them.
No, Louisiana is not the only film-friendly state. It was just the first one to offer tax breaks, way back in 1992. You can get a larger, interactive view of all state film tax relief by year by clicking the image.
Related posts:
- More states balking at subsidizing outrageous films
- Iowa film credits back, but California out of money
for its moviemaker tax break - Scary! Tax breaks for filmmakers
- LIghts, cameras, state tax credits!
- Tax breaks help TV zombies survive
- Hooray for Hollywood tax breaks
- NYC tax code gets Emmy thanks
- Shawshank's tax redemption
- Accountants exciting lives — on film
- A well-intentioned IRS agent … in a movie
- Oscar Special: Movies & Money
- 'Money Never Sleeps' and other entertaining movie money lessons
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