Anecdotally, it seems like some sort of film production pops up almost every week in Massachusetts. Statistically, it’s likely even more frequent than that.
From 2011 to 2017, Massachusetts awarded an average of 117 tax credits to local productions per year, which works out to more than two per week, according to recently revised data posted by the Department of Revenue. (Productions, in this case, can include feature-length films, videos, digital media projects, TV series, TV pilots, and commercials.)
Created in 2006, the film tax credit helps lure productions to Massachusetts by offering a 25 percent payroll credit for any project that spends more than $50,000 in-state. On top of that, productions that spend more than half of their total budget in Massachusetts or film at least half the time in the state are eligible for a 25 percent production credit and a sales tax exemption, with the same $50,000 minimum in-state spend mentioned above.
