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"Veep," the comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a U.S.
vice president, is one of four shows selected to receive tax
credits for relocating production to California, according to
the California Film Commission.
The panel has earmarked $6.5 million in film tax credits to "Veep"
if the show moves to California, the commission's executive
director, Amy Lemisch, said in a statement on Tuesday.
HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer said: "We're exploring our
options right now."
Other shows that were selected for California tax credits are
FX's "American Horror Story," ABC's "Secrets and Lies," and
VH1's "Hindsight."
"Veep" has been filmed in Maryland for four years, primarily in
Columbia, Baltimore and Sykesville.
"Veep" received $13.9 million in tax credits in its first three
seasons, said Karen Bell Hood of Maryland's Department of
Business and Economic Development.
The state has not earmarked tax credits toward the next season,
she said.
In November, Maryland lawmakers proposed ending the tax credits
in 2016. In a report, they said the program was too costly to
taxpayers and filming production brought little economic
benefits.
The report said the state had given $62.5 million in tax credits
to film and television productions since 2012. Of that amount,
$60.2 million had gone to "Veep" and to "House of Cards," the
Washington political thriller starring Kevin Spacey and Robin
Wright.
California last year tripled its tax incentive fund for
television and film production to $330 million.
(Reporting by John Clarke in Washington,; Editing by Ian Simpson
and Sandra Maler)
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