Filming Incentive · United States state
Pennsylvania film tax incentive
Pennsylvania offers 25-30% as a transferable tax credit, with a minimum qualifying spend of 60% of total budget in PA. That ranks #53 of 79 jurisdictions in this directory by base rate.
Checked against official sources 23 July 2026
Estimate the credit
Apply the published rate to your qualifying spend.
Estimated credit
$250,000 – $300,000
25% base, up to 30% with uplifts of $1,000,000
A starting point, not a bankable figure. The low end is the rate a production can count on; the high end needs every uplift stacked. It does not model tiers, per-project or annual caps, above- and below-the-line splits, or residency rules. Confirm the number that applies to your production with the film office.
Program detail
- A 25% tax credit for productions spending at least 60% of their total budget in the Commonwealth.
- An additional 5%, for a total of 30%, is available to productions meeting minimum filming requirements at a Qualified Production Facility.
- Applications are reviewed in four fixed windows: July-September, October-December, January-March, and April-June.
- Applicants must document that 70% of financing is secured, with the remaining 30% secured before principal photography begins.
- Authorised by Act 84 of 2016 (Article XVII-D, the Entertainment Production Tax Credit).
Incentive terms change with legislation. Verify current rates, caps, and eligibility with the film office before committing a budget. Last checked 2026-07-23.
How Pennsylvania compares
Other U.S. states in this directory, ranked by base rate.
- Puerto Rico
40% on expenses + 20% on non-resident crew
Transferable Tax Credit (Act 27) · min None specified
- California
35% base (up to 45% with uplifts)
Refundable (90% paid over 5 years) · min $1M qualified California spend
- Illinois
35% (resident/vendor/post); 30% non-resident labor (max 13)
Transferable Tax Credit · min $100,000 (30+ min); $50,000 (under 30 min)
- Georgia
30%
Transferable Tax Credit · min $500,000
- Iowa
30%
Rebate (direct payment) · min $500,000 qualifying Iowa spend; $1M total budget
- Kentucky
30-35%
Refundable Tax Credit · min $250,000 (film/TV) / $20,000 (docs/Broadway)
- New Jersey
30% standard; up to 35-40% with studio partner bonus
Transferable Tax Credit (state purchase at 95% for 2026+ approvals) · min $1,000,000 (film); $2,000,000 (digital media)
- New York
30% base (40% upstate counties)
Fully refundable · min $1M qualified NY spend ($500K upstate)
Film offices in Pennsylvania
7 offices and commissions handle productions here, from the state-wide agency down to city and regional commissions.

Central Pennsylvania Film Commission
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page
Film Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page
Gettysburg Film Commission
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page
Greater Philadelphia Film Office
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page
Pennsylvania Film Office
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Official incentive pagePittsburgh Film Office
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page
ReadingFilm Office
Reading, Pennsylvania
Official incentive page