Written by new-contact on Sep 4, 2013. Posted in Incentive News

Illinois considers expanding state filming incentive to include star salaries

Illinois in the northern US may amend its filming incentive to offer a rebate on star salaries. The state offers a base 30% filming tax credit, but the amendment would mean that star actors shooting in Illinois could get a tax credit on a salary of up to a million dollars.

Given that stars of big-budget studio productions are routinely paid in the millions of dollars, giving a tax credit on at least part of that salary payment could be a big boost for the Illinois production industry.

“Our success boils down to how effectively we can carry the message to (state capital) Springfield about being competitive with other states with film incentives,” Illinois Production Alliance president Jeff Crabtree told Reel Chicago: “Our state’s film incentives have demonstrated their value year after year, with record amounts of entertainment projects shooting here.”

Illinois has had a high-profile summer with both Transformers 4 – now officially called Transformers: Age of Extinction – and the Wachowksi siblings’ Jupiter Ascending filming on location in Chicago. The state’s star salary amendment will seek final approval in the coming weeks.