Arizona
8/23/08:

ARIZONA will not be taking applications for 2010 in November, as funds are still available for the current fiscal year.  Applications for 2010 will be accepted in January.

The primary goal of the Motion Picture Production Tax Incentives Program is to promote and stimulate the production of commercial motion pictures in Arizona. The program achieves this goal by providing incentives for qualified motion picture production companies. The program offers the following incentives:

* Transaction Privilege Tax Exemption on:
* purchased machinery, equipment and other tangible personal property 
* leased or rented lodging space,
* sales of catered food, drink and condiments, and
* construction contracts for buildings and other structures.
*  Use Tax Exemption  -  on machinery, equipment and other tangible personal property.
* Income Tax Credit  -  an Arizona income tax credit equal to 10%, 15% or 20% of the company’s investment in eligible Arizona production costs
PROGRAM SUMMARY
PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Other Incentives:
 Sales Tax Rebate
 Arizona offers a 50% state sales tax rebate to motion picture and television/video production companies spending at least $1 million in qualified expenditures over a consecutive 12-month period.
The rebate is also available to commercial advertising production companies spending at least $250,000 in qualified expenditures over a consecutive 12-month period.
The productions must be filmed in Arizona.
State sales tax is 5%.
Call Christi Comanita at (602) 542-4672 early in production for more information about the rebate program.
There is no tax on lodging for stays of over 30 days.

Use Fuel Tax Exemption
 Production vehicles entering Arizona for the purpose of motion picture production on location are exempt from the Use Fuel Tax.
Call George Collaco, Port of Entry Supervisor, at (520) 927-6652 for more information about qualifying.
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film office info:
Robert Detweiler, Director
 Arizona Film Commission
 3800 N. Central Ave. Bldg. D
 Phoenix, AZ 85012
 Phone: 602-280-1380 or 1-800-523-6695
 Fax: 602-280-1384
Christi Comanita - Dept. of Commerce (Salex Tax Rebate)  at (602) 542-4672
George Collaco, Port of Entry Supervisor, at (520) 927-6652
Email - film@azcommerce.com
 

Film office - Links you to their homepage

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From Production Update Magazine January 2004 - "The Southwest"
................................Robert Detweiller, director of Rural Development with the Arizona Department of Commerce, presently oversees the Arizona Film Commission. He comes from a production background. He came to state government eight years ago, then branched off into economic development efforts and got his current post "by default," he explains, noting that when the department was restructured, the film liaison became a vital part of the state's economic development plan. Detweiller brings a wealth of expertise to his post, having started in the mid-eighties on Desperado, the NBC western miniseries.

"Arizona hasn't changed," he says. "We're still a great state to film in. What has changed is the environment in the industry, and the trend towards making pilots and movies of the week in other countries. As a result, we're suffering like everybody else. We still offer fee-free public and state land, and through the film commission, we offer a lot of free services, like getting permits for highways. We can assist in script breakdowns, get location photos and facilitate networking with local jurisdictions. But like other states, we're going through major budget crises and it's challenging at a time like this to come up with attractive incentives."
Currently, there are no big projects shooting in Arizona. "Right now," says Detweiller, "our main goal is to build our film commission infrastructure to be competitive with other states."

Of course, Arizona has some built-in incentives that don't cost Detweiller or his colleagues a cent. "We have a lot of sunshine," he points out. "Weather allows us to be attractive to a variety of projects, even in slower times. You can buy a lot of production value in Canada, but you can't buy the sun."

....................READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

FROM PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL JAN. '05:
Arizona film industry asks legislators for tax incentives
Ruben Hernandez
The Business Journal
"Wheel of Fortune," and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" were among film productions in the Valley that generated $29 million in local revenue last year. Recent Company News» Allied Domecq» American Federation of Television and Radio Artists» Arizona Entertainment Alliance» Nationwide Insurance Services» Phoenix Film Office» Sauza» Take Two Film & TV Inc.Latest News» Closure list spares Luke AFB, other major Arizona bases» GOP's Salmon joins Greenberg Traurig law firm» McCain immigration 'amnesty' effort draws liberal backing» Taser finds good news in new safety study» Rockford narrows first-quarter lossMore» Companies in the News» People in the NewsThe Phoenix Film Office reports that the local film activity included nine feature films, 36 TV productions, 340 commercials and 56 still-photo shoots.Valley film production advocates would like to see more of such projects this year. To that end, they are meeting with legislators Feb. 3, for Film Arizona Day at the Capital. Jan Jacobson, president of the Arizona Entertainment Alliance, says that there will be celebrities, booths and entertainment.It's part of an industrywide effort to bring tax incentives before the Legislature to promote film and entertainment production in Arizona. The event is sponsored by the Arizona Entertainment Alliance and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists................READ MORE
 

From Production Update Magazine 01/05 issue:
Westward Ho!
(Southwest That Is...)
by Brooke Comer
 

The Southwest was once one big block, in the Hollywood mind. Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona all offered vast stretches of sandy desert.

Today, things have changed. New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada each have a distinct identity, defined by tax incentive laws that attract filmmaking, and by marketing efforts which reveal the unique locations that each area has to offer. Phoenix is known for its film savvy kids. Tucson offers the look of the Wild West at Old Tucson Studios. New Mexico has spared no expense to make a name for itself attracting feature film work through tax incentives. Nevada’s film friendly casino hotels and ranches are known entities in every location scout’s file.............READ MORE

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Bright lights, tax incentives  By Ed Taylor, Tribune    January 7, 2006
Arizona’s struggling film industry is ready for its close-up.
Generous tax incentives approved last year by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Janet Napolitano went into effect this week, and the industry is anticipating a boom in the production of movies, TV commercials, music videos and similar activities in Arizona.

"This program will offer the greatest enticement and incentives of any state in the union to shoot films in Arizona," said Mike Kucharo, president of the Arizona Film and Media Coalition, an industry group that lobbied for the legislation...........................READ MORE