Jon Voight Proposes Hollywood Plan with Federal Tax Incentive and Cultural Test
A draft version of Jon Voight‘s plan for Hollywood includes a 10% federal tax incentive for film and TV production, along with an American “cultural test” similar to the rules in the United Kingdom. The document, which was published by Deadline without authorization, was crafted for discussion purposes only, according to Voight’s producing partner, Steven Paul.
Paul emphasized that the ideas presented in the plan are the result of conversations with industry stakeholders and do not represent any formal policy or position. Voight and Paul reportedly presented a comprehensive plan to President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, focusing on tariffs on foreign production, although Trump later appeared to backtrack on this issue.
While many in Hollywood support a federal tax incentive to supplement state-based credits, Voight’s plan introduces unique elements such as a requirement for productions to contribute to American culture. This cultural test is aimed at preserving American culture in the face of foreign influence, a concept borrowed from the U.K.’s regulations.
The draft plan also proposes restoring the fin-syn rules that were abolished three decades ago to prevent major broadcast networks from owning prime-time programming. Additionally, Voight suggests implementing tariffs to counter “runaway production” by targeting productions that could have been shot in the U.S. but chose to film overseas for financial incentives.
Despite Trump’s suggestion of a blanket 100% tariff on foreign production, industry insiders have expressed concerns and confusion. Democrats have shown support for a federal incentive, with Sen. Adam Schiff seeking bipartisan cooperation on the issue. Gov. Gavin Newsom also proposed a $7.5 billion incentive to combat the loss of production jobs in the state.
The Motion Picture Association, along with industry organizations like the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, has voiced support for a federal production incentive to preserve American jobs and strengthen the entertainment industry. The draft of Voight’s proposal outlines a 10% increase to state-level incentives and a 20% credit for states without existing incentives, covering traditional and digital content production.
Overall, Voight’s plan aims to revitalize the American film and TV industry while safeguarding its cultural integrity and economic competitiveness in the global market.
