California’s grip on the film industry is slipping. Fast. In Q4 2025, California saw a 20% decrease in movie and TV projects year-over-year, while New Jersey’s filming count surged 75% over the same period. That is not a blip. That is a structural shift in where serious productions are planting their flags, and the Garden State’s aggressive tax incentive program is the engine behind it.
New Jersey is on pace to surpass the total production volume of 2023 and 2024 combined, with 35 productions qualifying for the tax credit program and projected spend expected to exceed $600 million. For studios, executives, and production teams still mapping their East Coast strategy, this is the briefing you need.
In this article, we cover:
- What New Jersey’s film tax credit actually offers, and how to qualify
- The billion-dollar studio infrastructure taking shape across the state
- How NJ stacks up against New York’s competing incentive program
- The real economic ripple effect on local businesses and job creation
- How to get your team to New Jersey fast, without the friction of commercial travel
Getting your talent and key personnel to set efficiently is part of the production equation. That is where ACC Aviation comes in. As a specialist in on-demand air charter for film and TV productions, we handle the logistics, so your team lands ready to work.
What New Jersey’s Film Tax Credit Offers
The New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program is one of the most competitive production incentives on the East Coast. At its core, it offers a fully transferable tax credit of 30% to 39% on qualified production expenses, with the credits applicable against Corporation Business Tax, Gross Income Tax, or Insurance Premiums Tax.
The 2025 updates made it significantly stronger. On June 30, 2025, Governor Murphy signed legislation extending the program to July 1, 2049, and increasing the maximum credit percentage for studio partners to 40%, with the possibility of reaching 45% through newly established bonus credits.
Credit Breakdown at a Glance for New Jersey’s Film Industry
| Production Type | Base Credit | Maximum With Bonuses |
|---|---|---|
| Standard productions | 30% | Up to 39% |
| Studio Partners | 40% | Up to 45% |
| Post-production (NJ facility) | 40% | Up to 45% |
| Digital media (southern counties) | 35% | Varies |
How to Qualify
Productions must meet at least one of the following spend thresholds:
- 60% of total film production expenses incurred with New Jersey-authorized vendors
- Qualified film production expenses exceeding $1 million per production in-state
Additional bonuses are available, including a 4% NJ Hiring Bonus for productions that prioritize hiring at least 25% of their New Jersey workforce from economically disadvantaged areas.
What Counts as a Qualified Expense
Qualified expenses include wages and salaries of individuals employed in the production, plus costs for props, makeup, wardrobe, camera, sound recording, set construction, lighting, shooting, and editing.
Pro tip: Credits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Submitting a complete application early in your production timeline is critical.
The Billion-Dollar Studio Boom
New Jersey’s film industry is not just attracting productions. It is attracting permanent infrastructure at a scale the East Coast has never seen. Three major studio developments are currently under construction, and each one signals long-term confidence in the state’s film and TV production economy.
Netflix paid $55 million for 292 acres at the former Fort Monmouth Army base in Monmouth County, with plans to build 12 soundstages totaling around 500,000 square feet. The Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth complex is projected to open in 2028 and was awarded up to $387 million in tax incentives from the state.
In Newark, a 270,000-square-foot film and TV production studio is under construction, with Lionsgate as anchor tenant and a scheduled opening in spring 2027.
Then there is 1888 Studios in Bayonne. At 1.6 million square feet, it will include 23 state-of-the-art smart stages, 10 acres of basecamp parking, and a 22-acre water backlot, making it the largest television and film production facility in the Northeast. Paramount has signed a 10-year lease as a studio partner.
At a Glance: New Jersey’s Major Studio Developments
| Studio | Location | Size | Key Tenant | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth | Fort Monmouth | 500,000 sq ft | Netflix | 2028 |
| Lionsgate Newark | Newark | 270,000 sq ft | Lionsgate | 2027 |
| 1888 Studios | Bayonne | 1.6M sq ft | Paramount | TBC |
All three facilities would take New Jersey from three purpose-built sound stages to 36. The scale of this investment is not incidental. It reflects state officials’ sustained commitment to filmmaking as a long-term economic pillar, not a short-term subsidy play.
Pro tip: Production companies planning multi-season series should take note. With purpose-built facilities of this scale, locking in NJ as your long-term base now, before these studios fully open, positions your production ahead of competing demand.
New Jersey vs. New York: How They Stack Up
Both states are actively courting production companies, and both have significantly expanded their programs in recent years. The numbers, however, tell a nuanced story.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | New Jersey | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Base tax credit | 30–40% | 30% |
| Maximum credit (with bonuses) | Up to 45% | Up to 40% |
| Annual program cap | $100M (rolling) | $800M |
| Credits transferable | Yes | No |
| Application processing time | 6–9 months | Up to 20 months |
| Program expiry | 2049 | 2036 |
New Jersey and Georgia are among the few states that offer fully transferable film tax credits, a meaningful distinction for production companies that have no in-state tax liability. New York’s credits, though refundable, are non-transferable, which limits financing flexibility for out-of-state studios.
New Jersey’s 30–40% credit, combined with direct access to New York’s crew and talent market, creates a compelling case for productions that need the depth of the New York production ecosystem but want stronger credit value.
The processing speed advantage is also significant. New York can take up to 20 months to process and issue credit certificates. New Jersey processes applications in 6 to 9 months, and the NJ Motion Picture and Television Commission is actively working to reduce that timeline further.
For television production companies planning multi-season commitments, the program’s extension to 2049 by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority offers a level of long-term planning certainty that New York’s 2036 expiry simply cannot match.
The Real Economic Ripple Effect
The tax breaks alone do not tell the full story. What New Jersey’s film industry generates in downstream economic impact is what makes this moment genuinely significant for the state.
In 2024 alone, film and TV production spending in New Jersey hit a record $833 million, with 556 productions filming in the state and more than 30,000 crew members hired, nearly doubling the number of crew hires from 2023.
In 2022, filming activity supported approximately 8,500 jobs across fields such as set design, construction, catering, and security, while the film and digital media tax credits helped subsidize more than 14,600 in-state jobs. Those numbers have grown substantially since.
The money flows well beyond production crews. The economic benefits extend to local small businesses and vendors, increased tourism activity and spending, and support for communities across the state. Dry cleaners, caterers, hardware suppliers, and hospitality businesses in filming locations all benefit directly from production spending.
- A Complete Unknown, the Academy Award-nominated Bob Dylan biopic, is a clear example. The film shot across 17 municipalities, with notable locations in Hoboken, Jersey City, Paterson, and Cape May, doubling those New Jersey communities as New York City, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, and beyond.
- Happy Gilmore 2 made an even bigger financial statement. Netflix’s production recorded $152.5 million in qualified spend in New Jersey over a 60-plus day shoot. That is the spending footprint of a single production on a single state’s economy.
- Jon Crowley, executive director of the NJ Motion Picture and Television Commission, noted that talk shows now moving into the state represent a commitment of 40 to 50 weeks, a definite needle mover in terms of jobs and local spend.
The Film Ready New Jersey program has certified dozens of municipalities to host productions. If you are scouting locations, working with Film Ready communities streamlines permitting and ensures local support infrastructure is already in place.
Getting Your Team to New Jersey, Fast
Tax credits and studio infrastructure bring productions to New Jersey. Getting your team there efficiently is a separate challenge entirely, and one that commercial aviation consistently fails to solve.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the primary gateway for film and TV production teams flying into the state. It handles significant traffic, and during peak production season, schedule delays and last-minute rebooking become genuine production risks.
Production leaders, movie and television producers, and senior executives running time-sensitive shoots cannot afford that exposure. A single delayed flight can push back a shoot day, disrupt talent arrivals, or compress a pre-production window that was already tight.
Private jet charter removes that variable entirely. With us, your team departs on your schedule, from an airport that works for you, and arrives ready to work. We serve the full range of production travel needs:
- Key talent and above-the-line arrivals requiring discretion, speed, and flexibility
- Executive and financier travel for investment meetings, studio walkthroughs, and location scouts
- Crew and equipment shuttles for multi-location shoots across New Jersey’s diverse filming locations
- Last-minute charter for urgent production requirements when commercial options have already closed
We specialize in air charter for the entertainment sector, and our team understands the pace, confidentiality, and scheduling complexity that production travel demands. Whether your shoot is based in Fort Monmouth, Bayonne, Newark, or across multiple communities in a single week, we can position aircraft where and when you need them.
For productions also coordinating talent travel from Los Angeles, London, or other major markets, our global flight management capability means every leg of your team’s journey is handled under one roof.
The cost of a private jet charter is a fraction of what a single lost shoot day costs a major production. For many of our clients in the entertainment industry, it is not a luxury. It is a line item that pays for itself.
Contact our team to discuss your production’s travel requirements.
Your Production Deserves a Smarter Flight with ACC Aviation
New Jersey’s film tax credit program has fundamentally repositioned the East Coast as a serious rival to Hollywood. The infrastructure is arriving, the incentives are locked in through 2049, and production spending is breaking records year after year.
Here is what to carry forward:
- NJ offers fully transferable tax credits of up to 45% for studio partners
- Three mega-studios are under construction, adding 33 new purpose-built sound stages by 2028
- 556 productions filmed in NJ in 2024, generating a record $833 million in qualified spend
- Processing times run 6 to 9 months, significantly faster than New York’s 20-month timeline
- The Film Ready program ensures communities across the state are prepared to host productions
Getting your team to set is as strategic as the production itself. We provide private jet charter for film and TV productions across New Jersey and beyond, with the flexibility, discretion, and speed that serious productions require.
From talent arrivals into Newark to multi-leg crew movements across the state, our entertainment sector charter solutions are built for the demands of modern filmmaking. Reach out to our team and let us handle the travel while you focus on the shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tax credit for film production in New Jersey?
The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, administered by the state economic development authority, offers fully transferable credits of 30% to 45% on qualified production expenses.
Are film tax credits worth it?
Yes. NJ film tax credits are transferable, meaning productions can sell them for cash, generating hundreds of millions in production spending and measurable economic growth statewide.
Is NJ growing or shrinking?
New Jersey is growing. In 2024, 556 productions filmed in the state, generating a record $833 million in qualified spend, creating jobs and boosting income for residents across communities.
Which state has the best film tax credit?
New Jersey ranks among the strongest. Its jersey motion picture program offers transferable credits up to 45%, a 2049 expiry, and faster processing than competing states, delivering a real taxes advantage for productions.
