SAG-AFTRA on Film Tax Credits and Keeping Jobs in the U.S.

SAG-AFTRA Executive Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy Kerri Wood Einertson joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to break down the expanded California Film and Television Tax Credit Program and what it means for union members working in the industry.

Wood Einertson outlined how a broad coalition of unions helped double California's incentive, why the expansion to animation and competition series is a first for the program and what comes next — including a push for a stackable federal incentive that could help American productions compete globally. For the hundreds of thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on domestic film and television production, the stakes could not be higher.

• California's expanded film and television tax credit program, signed last July and set to run four years, is projected to generate $1.3 billion in economic activity statewide, support 1,200 additional filming days, create opportunities for more than 4,500 cast and crew members and create work for more than 50,000 background performers.
• For the first time in the program's history, animated series and competition shows are eligible for the tax credit, a change Wood Einertson said brings more union members into the program's benefits and builds a more inclusive production ecosystem in Los Angeles.
• SAG-AFTRA is actively working with Congress and the current administration on a federal production incentive that could be stacked on top of existing state incentives, a move that would give California, New York, New Jersey and other states with strong programs a more competitive position against international rivals.

How SAG-AFTRA Is Fighting to Keep Film and TV Production in America

Kerri Wood Einertson did not arrive at her role as SAG-AFTRA's Executive Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy by accident. A Los Angeles native who spent years working on Capitol Hill before joining the union roughly 13 years ago, she has built her career at the intersection of labor and legislation. Today, she also serves on the board of the California Film Commission. When she sat down with the America's Work Force Union Podcast, she came prepared to explain exactly how the industry has been fighting — and winning — the battle to keep production work on American soil.

Film Tax Credits Are a Lifeline for Working Actors and Crew

The foundation of that fight is the production tax incentive. For SAG-AFTRA, maintaining and expanding these programs at the state level is among the organization's highest priorities, because without them, the economic logic of shooting domestically erodes. Other countries are actively competing for productions with their own incentive packages, and Wood Einertson was direct about the risk: if no state in the country offered competitive incentives, a significant share of the work would move abroad.

The ripple effects extend well beyond union members themselves. When a television show or feature film shoots in a community, the local economy benefits — restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners and a wide range of small businesses all see increased activity. That dynamic is especially pronounced in Los Angeles, where the entertainment industry has long served as an anchor of the regional economy.

California Doubles Its Incentive — and Opens the Door to New Productions

The marquee win Wood Einertson discussed was California's expanded Film and Television Tax Credit Program. The $750 million incentive was signed last July, effectively doubling the program's previous level and delivering what she described as near-immediate results. Productions began responding to the expanded program quickly, with active shoots already underway in LA.

On March 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the awarding of credits to 16 television projects under the expanded program — and for the first time in the program's history, animated series and competition shows were included in the selection. Wood Einertson said that expansion was a deliberate effort to ensure the incentive was as inclusive as possible, bringing in union members who work in animation and on game and competition formats who had previously been left out. The economic projections attached to the expanded program are substantial: $1.3 billion in projected economic activity, 1,200 additional filming days and employment opportunities for more than 4,500 cast and crew members. Additionally, more than 50,000 background performers are expected to work on participating projects.

A Coalition Effort from Start to Finish

Wood Einertson was careful to credit the broader labor coalition that made the expansion possible. SAG-AFTRA did not achieve these results alone. Unions representing crew members and other entertainment workers were heavily involved throughout the process, and the effort to get the expanded program across the finish line required sustained coordination. She also pointed to actor Noah Wyle — a star of a current Los Angeles-based production that received the tax credit — as a prominent member of the voice who attended the signing and has remained publicly supportive of the program. Wood Einertson noted that his situation reflects what many members want: the ability to work where they live, close to their families, without being forced to travel internationally.

The program is currently structured with a four-year sunset, but Wood Einertson said that timeline should not be read as a fixed endpoint. Enhancements can be made throughout the program's life, and with a new governor coming to California, she said the union's coalition is already thinking about how to ensure the program not only continues but improves under the next administration.

Los Angeles Takes Steps to Reduce the Cost of Filming on Location

Alongside the state-level tax credit, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has moved to address another barrier to domestic production: the cost and complexity of filming on location in the city. Through an executive order, Bass directed the reduction of fees at city-owned locations and the streamlining of the permitting process, with the full support of the Los Angeles City Council.

The practical impact has been significant. Fees at landmarks like Griffith Observatory and the Los Angeles Central Library — popular filming locations — were rolled back to approximately 2008 levels. Wood Einertson cited the observatory as an example, noting that fees there had climbed steeply over the years and the rollback represented a dramatic reduction. The goal, she said, is to eliminate the perception that shooting in California is prohibitively expensive and to ensure that cost is not the deciding factor when producers choose between LA and other locations.

The Next Frontier: A Federal Production Incentive

Even with California's expanded program and Los Angeles' streamlined permitting in place, Wood Einertson made clear that the work is far from finished. SAG-AFTRA is now engaged in an active federal push, working with Congress and the current administration to establish a national production incentive that would be stackable with existing state programs.

The concept is straightforward: a federal incentive would amplify the competitive advantage already offered by states like California, New York and New Jersey, which have among the strongest existing programs in the country. Combined, federal and state incentives could give American productions a meaningful edge over international competitors offering their own subsidies. Wood Einertson described the effort as a priority and said the union is pressing for movement as quickly as possible.

For the tens of thousands of working actors, background performers and crew members whose employment depends on productions staying in the U.S., the outcome of that federal push will matter enormously.

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