Motion Picture
Production accounting, film tax credits, and advisory for the motion picture industry — so the numbers never steal the scene.
Overview
Film and television budgets move fast, and the accounting has to keep pace. Pease Bell works with independent producers, production companies, and studios to run clean production accounting, capture available credits and incentives, and structure each project so investors and lenders see exactly where the money goes. We help clients pursue the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit and coordinate incentives in other states where productions shoot, so multi-state work stays organized. As a Top 200 U.S. CPA firm headquartered in Cleveland, we combine boutique attention with the reach to serve productions nationwide — speaking the language of the set as well as the language of the IRS.
How we help production companies
Specialized accounting, tax, and advisory support for every stage of a production.
Production accounting & cost reporting
Day-to-day production accounting from pre-production through wrap, with cost reports, budget-to-actual tracking, and payroll support for union and non-union shoots of any size.
Film tax credit & incentive consulting
Guidance on qualifying for and documenting the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit and incentives in other filming states, including eligible-spend tracking and support through the certification and audit process.
Single-purpose entity structuring
Setting up and accounting for the single-purpose LLCs and loan-out companies producers use per project, so each production is cleanly separated for tax, liability, and investor purposes.
Financing & investor reporting
Reporting that supports production financing, completion requirements, and investor relationships — including clear statements of how committed capital and credit proceeds are deployed.
Multi-state & sales/use tax
Managing multi-state filing obligations, apportionment across shooting locations, and sales and use tax exposure on equipment, services, and production purchases.
Residuals, royalties & audit
Accounting for residuals and royalty streams, plus audit and assurance services when lenders, investors, or credit programs require independently verified financials.
Contact Us
Tell us about your production and a member of our motion picture team will be in touch.
The pressures we help you manage
Every production carries financial pressure that has nothing to do with what ends up on screen. We help you keep it under control.
- ✓Tight budgets, fast timelines — cost reports and budget-to-actual tracking that keep pace with a shoot instead of catching up weeks later.
- ✓Tax-credit documentation — eligible-spend records and paperwork organized to withstand the certification and audit steps that release credit proceeds.
- ✓Multi-state complexity — filing, apportionment, and sales/use tax handled across every state a production touches.
- ✓Entity sprawl — single-purpose LLCs and loan-out companies set up and reconciled so each project stays cleanly separated.
- ✓Investor and lender scrutiny — reporting and assurance that answer financing, completion, and residual questions before they become disputes.
Why producers choose Pease Bell
We speak set and IRS
Our team understands both how a production runs and how the tax rules apply to it, so you get accounting that fits the workflow of a shoot rather than a generic back office.
Boutique touch, national reach
You work directly with senior professionals who know your projects, backed by a Top 200 U.S. CPA firm that serves clients in all 50 states — useful when productions move between locations.
Credits handled end to end
From the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit to incentives elsewhere, we help you plan for, track, document, and support credits through certification — not just file a return after the fact.
Motion Picture Team
Featured Insights
Motion picture insights from our team
Practical guidance on film tax credits, production accounting, and Ohio compliance.
- Film tax credits
Film Tax Credits: How CPAs Help Producers SaveIntroduces the firm’s film tax credit practice and how producers capture incentives.
- Production accounting
Film Production Accounting After the Hollywood StrikeHow post-strike conditions affect production budgets and accounting.
- Ohio compliance
Ohio BWC Coverage and 1099-Only Film ProductionsWorkers’ comp coverage nuances for 1099-only Ohio film productions.
- Ohio tax law
Ohio House Bill 166: Income, Sales, and Credit ChangesState income, sales, and credit changes relevant to Ohio productions.
- Year-end planning
Year-End Tax Planning: Key Strategies to Reduce Your Tax BillGeneral year-end planning that applies to production entities and their owners.
Film & production accounting FAQs
What does a production accountant do?
A production accountant manages the money on a film or television project from pre-production through wrap. That includes tracking the budget against actual spend, running or supporting payroll for cast and crew, coding costs, preparing cost reports for producers and financiers, and organizing the records needed to claim tax credits. Pease Bell provides this support for both small union shoots and multi-state studio operations.
Do you help with the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit?
Yes. We help producers pursue the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit by identifying qualifying spend, keeping the documentation that the program requires, and supporting the project through the certification and audit steps that release the credit. We also coordinate incentives in other states where a production shoots, so multi-state projects stay organized. Program rules and available amounts change, so we work from the current requirements for each project.
Why do productions use single-purpose LLCs and loan-out companies?
Producers typically set up a single-purpose LLC for each production to isolate that project’s finances, liability, and tax reporting from other work. Loan-out companies are separate entities used by talent and key crew to provide their services. We help set up and account for these entities so each production is cleanly separated, credits and expenses are tracked to the right project, and investor and tax reporting stays accurate.
Can you provide reporting for film investors and lenders?
Yes. We prepare reporting that supports production financing, completion requirements, and investor relationships, showing clearly how committed capital and credit proceeds are being spent. When a lender, investor, or credit program requires independently verified financials, our audit and assurance team can provide audited or reviewed statements alongside the production’s ongoing cost reporting.
How do you handle multi-state productions and sales tax?
We manage the filing obligations, income apportionment, and sales and use tax exposure that come with shooting in more than one state. That means tracking where costs are incurred, applying each state’s rules to equipment rentals, services, and production purchases, and coordinating any incentives available in those states. As a firm serving clients in all 50 states, we keep multi-state productions coordinated under one team.
What types of motion picture clients does Pease Bell work with?
We work with independent producers, production companies, and studios — from small union shoots to multi-state studio operations. Our production accounting, tax, and advisory services support the full lifecycle of a project, from pre-production budgeting through wrap and post-release residuals and royalties. As a Cleveland-based Top 200 U.S. CPA firm, we combine boutique, senior-level attention with nationwide reach.