Overview of Diversity Efforts in the Film Tax Credit Program

May 1, 2025 - Evaluating Changes Made in Program 4.0 New Diversity Rules Provide a More Credible Incentive for Applicants. Compared to the version 3.0 diversity requirements, the upcoming changes in version 4.0 represent a more significant incentive for production companies to engage in DEIA activities, since 4  percent of the total credit is contingent on enacting and documenting specific initiatives.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5036

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - This increase applies to version 4.0 of the program from fiscal years 2025-26 through 2029-30 and is estimated to reduce state revenues by $209  million per year by 2028-29, and more than this in subsequent years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

Volatility of California’s Personal Income Tax Structure

Sep 28, 2017 - The estimated AD of the state PIT under this flat ‑rate scenario was 8.2, or 4.0 points less than the AD of the 2016 PIT structure. From this we can conclude that imposing a graduated rate structure instead of a flat rate adds about 4 points to the AD of the tax.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3703

The 2025-26 Budget: California’s Film Tax Credit

Feb 28, 2025 - This  would apply to version 4.0 of the credit for fiscal years 2025 ‑26 through 2029 ‑30. Expanding the Credit Is a Valid Approach to Increase Production Activity in California. Our  assessment of the available evidence suggests that increasing the size of the credit will increase the number of productions that choose to locate in California.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5000

Overview of Diversity Efforts in the Film Tax Credit Program [Publication Details]

May 1, 2025 - Chapter 114 of 2021 (SB 144, Portantino) required our office to issue a report summarizing the workforce diversity information collected by the California Film Commission (CFC) and evaluate the effectiveness of the tax credit for increasing diversity.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5036

Building Reserves to Prepare for a Recession

Mar 7, 2018 - By most measures, the recession of the early 1990s was more severe than the dot ‑com bust in the early 2000s. For example, unemployment in California reached 9. 7  p ercent in mid ‑ to late ‑1992, but peaked at 6. 9  p ercent after the dot ‑com bust.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3769

The 2018-19 May Revision: LAO Economic Outlook

May 12, 2018 - The typical PE ratio since 1990 is 21 (19 if the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s is excluded). Similar to the price-to-earnings ratio, the home price-to-rent ratio is used to gauge if home prices are in line with underlying demand for housing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3829

The 2019-20 Budget: Tax Conformity

Mar 6, 2019 - In addition to the effective rate changes described above, the 2017 l aw made other changes that broadened the tax base —that is, reduced or eliminated various credits and deductions. Examples of these changes include eliminating personal exemptions, ending many individual and business deductions, and imposing new limits on other common deductions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3959

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - During the phase ‑in period, the state also entered the dot ‑com recession. These two cost pressures absorbed the remaining flexibility in the state ’s UI tax system. As  shown in Figure  4 , the state began this period in Schedule C but quickly moved to Schedule F+, the highest tax schedule, where it has remained since.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

Managing California’s Cash

Sep 3, 2019 - After a period of relative calm in the mid ‑ and late ‑1990s, California faced another series of years with acute budget problems following the dot ‑com bust and ensuing recession. Although the dot ‑com bust was relatively mild in economic terms, it hit the California budget —which is particularly reliant on the Bay Area ’s technology sector —especially hard.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4092