More controversial than which film earns the Oscar for best picture may be the benefit states receive in providing the movie industry tax credits.
Academics, as well as some states, give two thumbs down to such incentives, which are a hit with production companies that say certain tax breaks are essential to project financing.
“After significant time and effort researching and evaluating these types of programs, I have come to the conclusion that film industry incentives are generally not very good programs,” Don Bruce, a University of Tennessee business professor, told Bloomberg Tax.
