Trump urges Congress to adopt federal tax incentives for TV and film

What This is

• President Trump called on Congress to pass a federal tax incentive to bring TV and movie production back to the United States.
• Trump made the push publicly in a Truth Social post and said the credit could be put in place quickly.
• Trump’s push followed a meeting with Jon Voight and producers who argued a federal credit is needed to keep projects from filming overseas.
• Trump urged bipartisan action and said he is arranging or seeking meetings with congressional leaders and other lawmakers.
• Industry groups and some unions and guilds have backed the idea, and the Motion Picture Association has promoted a nationwide production credit.
• Some lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, publicly praised or endorsed a bipartisan federal incentive for film and TV production.
• Proposals discussed include a federal tax credit of about 15% to 20%, often described as tied to U.S. labor costs, and possibly designed to stack with state credits.
• Supporters say production has shifted to other states and countries with generous incentives, contributing to large job losses since 2022 and a decline in U.S. production.

Why This Matters

• A federal film credit would put Congress, not states, at the center of how the U.S. subsidizes production jobs.
• It tests whether tax breaks should target one industry or be broad and neutral across the economy.
• The design choices—what spending qualifies and who can claim it—will shape whether benefits go mainly to crews and local vendors or to studios and top earners.
• A new national credit could trigger more industries to seek federal subsidies when work and investment move abroad.