House Bill 915 would reenact North Carolina’s film production tax credit and recodify it as G.S. 105-153.12, restoring a refundable credit for qualifying expenses incurred by production companies in the state. The credit would equal 25% of qualifying in-state production expenses for projects with at least $250,000 in qualifying expenses, with special rules for episodic television series, pass-through entities, substantiation, and reporting. The bill also reinstates related administrative requirements, including notice to the North Carolina Film Office and acknowledgment of the state and regional film offices in production credits.
The bill defines qualifying expenses broadly to include goods and services purchased or leased in North Carolina, wages subject to withholding, production insurance, employee fringe benefits, and per diems or living allowances for work performed in the state. It excludes certain costs, such as insurance purchased from related members and amounts paid above $1 million to highly compensated individuals, and limits the feature film credit to $20 million per production. The credit would not be available for political advertising, news programs, live sporting events, radio productions, or obscene content. The measure is effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and applies to qualifying expenses on or after that date.
HB915 would restore a repealed film incentive in North Carolina’s tax code by reenacting former G.S. 105-151.29 and G.S. 105-130.47 and recodifying the individual income tax credit as G.S. 105-153.12. It would create a refundable tax credit against the taxes imposed by the relevant part of Chapter 105, affecting production companies, pass-through entities, and the Department of Revenue’s administration, audit, and reporting obligations. The Department of Commerce’s Film Office and regional film commissions would again play a role in notification and verification, and the state would be required to report the credit’s use and fiscal cost in its economic incentives report.
The available context shows no committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no documented opposition or support in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to revive a prior economic development incentive for the film industry, suggesting a generally pro-incentive posture. The absence of transcripts or vote history means sentiment must be inferred from the bill’s structure rather than from expressed legislative discussion.
The main policy tension is the cost of the refundable credit versus its intended economic-development benefits. The bill caps the feature film credit at $20 million per production and requires detailed reporting of locations, expenses, employment, and General Fund cost, indicating concern about fiscal exposure and accountability. Potential points of contention also include the exclusion of certain productions, the treatment of highly compensated individuals, and whether the state should again subsidize film production after the prior credit’s sunset and repeal.