Site Search

OR
Go to Comparison Tool

January 24, 2012

EP Sponsored Women in Film (WIF) in Park City 2012

January 16, 2012

EP Incentive Solutions Update Available

January 13, 2012

EP Incentive Solutions Update Available

January 11, 2012

W-2 Hotline Now Active

December 8, 2011

Joseph Chianese Moderated 411 Publishing Webinar on Post Production Incentives

PRODUCTION INCENTIVES

RECENT UPDATES - May 26, 2010

Proposed legislation updates for:

Film commission updates for:

CALIFORNIA

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: No compensation caps; feature film budget cap of $75,000,000; “independent film” budget cap of $10,000,000 in "qualified" expenditures; $100,000,000 funding per fiscal year from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014; ≤ $10,000,000 a year set aside for “independent films”; annual allotment on first-come, first-served basis, and may use one subsequent year’s funding
Loan-Out Considerations: Payments to loan-outs qualify except for payments to non-qualified individuals. Fringes on loan-outs do not qualify (with some exceptions -- see expenditure charts links at the bottom of the Glossary page). Non-resident loan-out companies that fail to register with the Secretary of State are subject to a 7% withholding tax. (This also applies to non-resident independent contractors.)

COLORADO

Project Criteria: Minimum local spend = $100,000 for qualified local companies, $1,000,000 ($250,000 effective July 1, 2010) for out-of-state companies; ≥ 75% of below-the-line budget = qualified local spend (this requirement is eliminated effective July 1, 2010); ≥ 75% (≥ 25% effective July 1, 2010) payroll = qualified local payroll
Loan-Out Considerations: Currently none to note. Effective July 1, 2010, all income taxes shall be withheld and paid either by the production company or the individual.

CONNECTICUT

Maximum Benefit: For income years beginning January 1, 2010, the film and digital animation tax credits are tiered based on local spend from 10% to 30%; the infrastructure tax credit is 20%; no expenses incurred outside the state and used within are qualified
Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: Compensation is capped at $15,000,000 per person; no project caps for the production expense and infrastructure credits; the digital animation production credit is capped at $15,000,000 per year; there is an aggregate "star talent" compensation project cap (subject to local income tax) of $20,000,000; the infrastructure project credit voucher is not available until the project is complete
Project Criteria: For income years beginning January 1, 2010, a 10% credit is available for minimum qualifying local spend of $100,000 to $500,000; a credit of 15% is available for spend of $501,000 to $1,000,0000; and a 30% credit is available for a qualifying local spend in excess of $1,000,000 for the film and digital animation credits; film projects must meet a 50% local principal photography requirement (reduced to 25% on July 1, 2010) or 50% of post-production costs or, after July 1, 2010, spend no less than $1,000,000 in the state on post production cost; minimum spend for an interactive website is > $500,000 per year; for state-certified infrastructure projects costing ≥ $3,000,000, the credit is 20%

GEORGIA

Application Considerations: Submit initial applications no sooner than 90 days before production commences (response = 3-5 days)
Updated Sales & Use Tax Relief information link.

INDIANA

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: No per project cap; $2,500,000 funding per year ($50,000 allocated from budget expiring June 30, 2010, will renew to $2,500,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010)

IOWA

Registration of new film projects is suspended until July 1, 2013. Projects that have not already received “award letters” from the state will not be considered for tax credits this fiscal year. (See Senate File 2380.)

MARYLAND

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: No per project cap; $1,000,000 program budget for 2010-2011 fiscal year beginning July 1st

MICHIGAN

Loan program is not currently funded.

MINNESOTA

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: $1,225,000 appropriation remains for the fiscal year 2010; Snowbate funding for 2011 was suspended

NEW MEXICO

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: There is a $5,000,000 cap per project on the credit for all "performing artists'" compensation (i.e., amounts paid to performing artists in excess of $20,000,000 will be not be eligible for the credit); there are no other project or funding caps
Project Criteria: Script review
Loan Program Available

NEW YORK

Project Criteria: At least 1 day of principal photography on a set at a qualified facility is required; in addition, the qualified production costs at a qualified facility must be ≥ 75% of such total facility costs (within and outside the state of New York [NYS]); if production costs at a qualified facility are < $3,000,000, then location shooting days in NYS (outside qualified production facility) must be ≥ 75% of total shooting days (within and outside NYS); the investment tax credit is available for tangible property containing at least one sound stage ≥ 7,000 SF, which is principally used as a qualified film production facility and the taxpayer provides ≥ 3 qualified services, including but not limited to studio lighting grid, lighting and grip equipment, multi-line phone service, broadband information technology access, industrial scale electrical capacity, food services, security services, and heating, ventilation, and A/C

NEW YORK - New York

Project Criteria: At least 1 day of principal photography on a set at a qualified facility is required; in addition, the qualified production costs at a qualified facility must be ≥ 75% of such total facility costs (within and outside NYC); if production costs at a qualified facility are < $3,000,000, then location shooting days in NYC (outside qualified production facility) must be ≥ 75% of total shooting days (within and outside NYC)

RHODE ISLAND

Project Criteria: ≥ 51% of a production's principal photography days must be local; minimum budget = $300,000

SOUTH CAROLINA

Maximum Benefit: 20% of all wages subject to withholding paid to actors (including stunt performers), SC residents, and anyone working on a TV series (excluding persons paid ≥ $1,000,000); 10% wage rebate for non-resident crew up to $3,500 per person (depending upon the project, this amount may be negotiated to the full 20% rebate); 30% of qualifying local spend (paid to eligible SC suppliers)
Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: No project caps; annual funding of $10,000,000 for wage rebate and 26% of admissions tax collected for previous year for the supplier rebate, approximately $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2008-2009

AUSTRALIA FEDERAL

Project Criteria: For Location offset, if QAPE = A$15,000,000 but < A$50,000,000, it must be ≥ 70% of total spend (this requirement is removed effective July 1, 2010); if QAPE ≥ A$50,000,000, no percentage test; TV series must average ≥ A$1,000,000 per hour; for PDV offset, minimum qualifying PDV spend = A$5,000,000 (reduced to A$500,000 effective July 1, 2010); for Producer offset minimum spend = $1,000,000 for feature films, TV series and telemovies (lower spend test for documentaries and short form animation) and production must pass "Australianness test" (subjective), official co-productions automatically qualify

AUSTRALIA - Queensland

Maximum Benefit: 12.5% of qualifying local labor; A$25,000 per department head and state payroll tax rebate (4.75%); grants may be available for projects with qualifying local spend of > A$40,000,000

CANADA - British Columbia

Maximum Benefit: 33% of qualifying British Columbia (BC) labor expenditures; Digital Animation or Visual Effects (DAVE) Credit bonus: 17.5% additional credit on qualifying DAVE labor (principal photography commenced after February 28, 2010); Regional Tax Credit bonus: 6% of qualifying BC “regional” labor when > 50% of BC principal photography is done outside Vancouver area (pro rate number of regional days by total BC days), minimum 5 regional days required; Distant Location Credit: additional 6% of qualifying BC “distant” labor (calculated by pro rating number of days shot in “distant location” by total BC days; must first qualify for Regional Tax Credit); 17.5% of qualifying BC labor for the Interactive Digital Media tax credit for video game development for projects that begin after August 31, 2010
Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: Cap on qualifying labor = 60%

CANADA - Ontario

Maximum Benefit: 25% of qualifying Ontario (ON) labor AND production expenditures; Bonuses: ON Computer Animation and Special Effects (OCASE) - 20% of qualifying ON labor related to digital animation and special effects work

CANADA - Quebec

Maximum Benefit: 25% of qualifying Quebec (QC) expenditures (not limited to QC labor); Bonuses: QC Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit - 20% additional credit on qualifying animation and special effects QC labor

SOUTH AFRICA

Compensation and Project Caps/Funding Per Year: R10,000,000 per project; R246,899,000 for 2010-2011, R268,873,000 for 2011-2012, and R290,305,000 for 2012-2013