Withum CPAs Conor Barnes and Alex Holderbaum had a simple message for
filmmakers flocking to the state’s booming production scene: New Jersey’s incentives
are generous, but only if you plan early — and plan well.
Barnes, speaking last week at the Withum booth at the 2026 New Jersey Film Expo at
the Meadowlands Arena, said the state’s film tax credit program is powerful, but that
filmmakers need to understand the process if they want to cash in.
“There’s a specific process for claiming the film tax credits that we can help them with,”
Barnes said. “There are generally agreed-upon procedures that need to be established
as part of that.
“We can help with that and with just general tax compliance for folks doing business in
New Jersey.”
That includes productions that may only be in the state briefly.
“If you come in, even if you only do a couple weeks of production, you’ve got some tax
compliance issues,” she said. “We help you with that.”
Too often, Barnes said, filmmakers focus on the creative and assume the administrative
details will sort themselves out.
“Sometimes you can get really excited about the creative piece and not worry about the
boring administrative stuff — and think that it’s just going to sort itself out after the fact,
and that’s just not the case,” she said.
“Of course, we can help at any step of the process, but if you don’t plan early, you’re not
setting yourself up for success — you’re making it harder to get the return on investment
that you deserve.”
Holderbaum said it’s never too early in the process for filmmakers to bring in their CPA.
He said the biggest mistake filmmakers make is waiting until after the pick a site — or
even travel to it — to consult a CPA.
“We want to be involved from the start of the production,” he said.
That includes helping producers evaluate where to shoot.
“We like to sit in those meetings with the producers and say, ‘All right, here’s all the
options, here’s all the states,’” he said. “Certain films have to be in certain states
because they have either certain infrastructure or they have to have certain locations.
“We like to sit in that room and say, ‘All right, let’s draw a map of: If you’re in this state,
here’s what you’re looking at, here are the benefits.’”
Timeline is another overlooked factor, Holderbaum said.
“A lot of our producers may not know the timeline of when that credit either turns into
cash or needs to be sold,” he said.
And Barnes emphasized that filmmakers must keep an eye on the full tax picture.
“We’re keeping an eye on the full suite of taxes — not just income tax and credits,” she
said. “You have sales tax obligations; you have other entity obligations. You need
someone who has that 360 view.”
Holderbaum said Withum’s national footprint also gives it an edge.
“We have representation in almost every state people like to film,” he said. “That
separates us from firms that may only be specific to two or three states.”
Barnes and Holderbaum wouldn’t say which state is the best to shoot in. But they both
were born and raised in New Jersey. And both CPAs were eager to praise the New
Jersey Film & Digital Media Tax Credit Program.
“New Jersey itself is such a film-friendly state,” Holderbaum said. “The people at the
NJEDA are easy to work with; they want to give this money to the films.”
Barnes said the program’s stability and speed make it especially attractive.
“It’s in the code,” she said. “This is not something that needs legislative renewal each
year. And the spend and the recovery is fast. That’s key.”
And something you can plan on.
