Bringing red-carpet stars Robert Downey Jr., Claire Danes and Jennifer Lawrence, studios chasing tax incentives increased their spending in North Carolina nearly threefold in a single year – from $75 million in 2010 to $220 million in 2011.
It was a record year and based on studio commitments, 2012 should be even better – the N.C. Film Office is projecting the industry will spend at least $275 million.
A year ago, N.C. law changed so moviemakers could get a refund on 25 percent of salaries and money they spent on taxable items in the state, worth up to $20 million per project. It made the state among the most competitive in the nation in tax breaks for the industry.
