Do State Film Tax Credits Benefit Taxpayers ... or Movie Stars?
The highest paid actor in Hollywood last year, according to Forbes magazine, was Johnny Depp, earning an amazing $75 million, significantly more than runners up Ben Stiller and Tom Hanks. Taken as a group, the year's top 10 highest paid actors earned a collective $349 million.
Thousands of miles away, in the relatively affluent state of Massachusetts, the median family income stands at $65,304, roughly 1,150 times less than Depp's take home pay. Why is it, then, that Massachusetts taxpayers are ponying up to support the film industry?
