Pennsylvania proposes tax credit bill
Game studios could get 25% tax break as Democrat senator rallies support
A new tax credit bill has been introduced by Pennsylvanian senator Daylin Leach, which proposes a 25 per cent tax credit for video game companies based in the state.
Although several other senators have already lent their support to the bill there is no guarantee that it will be passed and Leach, a Democrat, is encouraging residents to contact their state senators and ask them to back the bill.
Leach has been working in conjunction with VGI Philadelphia, which describes itself as the "only independent, nonpartisan, non-profit video game studio incubator in the US". The organisation offers hardware and software support to new studios, as well as furnished office space and infrastructure, and assistance with third party vendor procurement and strategic partnerships.
Senate Bill 700 is similar to legislation introduced in Georgia in 2007, which saw the state's video game industry grown from 70 full time employees to over 2,000 in a period of 18 months. Following its own tax credit bill Montreal saw over 1,200 jobs created in 12 months.