*New Jersey offers both a Film & TV tax credit and a Digital Media tax credit. The two programs have different criteria, including minimum spend requirements:

For the Film & TV tax credit, at least 60% of the total film production expenses must incur in NJ or the qualified film production expenses for the applicant period must exceed $1,000,000 per production.

For the Digital Media tax credit, productions must incur at least $2,000,000 of the total digital spend through authorized New Jersey vendors. This $2 million minimum spend excludes wage and salary payments to employees, and at least 50% of all qualified expenditures must be for payroll expenses paid to full-time workers in New Jersey.

Projects must be at least 22 minutes in length.
 
Production expenses include post-production costs, services performed, and goods purchased through NJ vendors (vendors authorized to do business in NJ).

Unscripted television projects must shoot at least 60% of the show in New Jersey (this does not include post-production). They must also meet a minimum spend requirement of at least $1 million in qualified expenditures and have a minimum six-episode order on a linear broadcast network or streamer.

The Economic Development Authority will confirm that companies have been making good-faith efforts toward diversity.

Outside Radius Bonus: a 5% bump on qualified expenses incurred for services/property to be used at a sound stage or other location that is located outside the Columbus Circle radius. This is the 30-mile radius extending from the intersection of Eighth Ave/Central Park West, Broadway, and West 59th Street/Central Park South, New York, New York. In Other words, NJ spending within this radius earns a 30% credit, and NJ spending outside this radius earns 35%.

Diversity Plan Bonus: a 2% bump for productions that meet certain diversity criteria. To qualify for this bonus, productions must submit a diversity plan which outlines the production’s intent to hire minority persons and women to at least 25% of all production positions.

There is an additional 2% bonus (raising the total diversity bonus to 4%) for productions in which—in addition to the above—25% of the on screen performers are women and/or minority persons, and those women and minority persons who qualify for the bonus are both in unions and have been residents of New Jersey for at least 12 months prior to the start of production.

Principal photography of the film must commence within 180 days from the date of the original application for the tax credit.

There is an application fee of $500 for projects seeking $1,000,000 or less in tax credits and $2,500 for projects seeking tax credits of more than $1,000,000.

Digital Media Content may qualify for a 30-35% credit if it meets a minimum spend of $2,000,000 and at least 50% of the qualified digital media content production expenses of the taxpayer are for wages and salaries paid to full-time or full-time equivalent employees in New Jersey. *$30,000,000 in credits are allocated for Digital Media Content yearly.

There is a compensation cap of $500,000 on individuals in key positions including but not limited to writers, producers, directors, and talent.

The radius of Columbus Circle is technically written as a percent reduction from 35% to 30% if you are located within the radius. For the sake of calculating, it is structured here as a bonus if you are OUTSIDE the radius. 

Unscripted television projects (reality) must shoot at least 60% of the show in New Jersey (this does not include post-production). They must also meet a minimum spend requirement of at least $1 million in qualified expenditures and have a minimum six-episode order on a linear broadcast network or streamer.

In order to qualify, a game show, award show, or other gala event must be filmed and produced at a nonprofit arts and cultural venue receiving state funding.

The tax credit has a carry-forward of seven years.

Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the state set aside $100,000,000 for New Jersey Studio Partners and $100,000,000 for New Jersey Film-Lease Partners. 

New Jersey Studio Partners are any film production company that has made a commitment to produce films in NJ and has developed, purchased, or executed a 10-year contract to lease a production facility of at least 250,000 square feet as a “transformative project.” Additionally, prior to approval, the production facility site would need to have at least preliminary site plan approval, an executed redevelopment agreement, or an adopted redevelopment plan that contemplates the construction of the production facility and, following designation approval, be able to provide temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy for the facility within 36 months. The major perk of this program is that compensation for writers, directors, including music directors, producers, and performers are allowed to constitute qualified film production expenditures: up to $15,000,000 in the aggregate when production incurs between $15,000,000 and $50,000,000 in qualified production expenses; up to $25,000,000 in the aggregate when production incurs between $50,000,000 and $100,000,000 in qualified production expenses; up to $40,000,000 in the aggregate when production incurs between $100,000,000 and $150,000,000; and up to $60,000,000 in the aggregate when production incurs more than $150,000,000 in qualified production expenses. The state only allows for three such partners at a time on a first-come-first served basis. 

New Jersey Film-Lease Partners are any company that has made a commitment to lease or acquire a New Jersey production facility with an aggregate square footage of at least 50,000 square feet for a period of 5 or more successive years and agrees to spend an annual average of $50,000,000 million in qualified production expenditures over 5-10 years. 

The sunset for Studio Partners and Film-Lease Partners is 2035.