UNLOCK THE BENEFITS OF TAX INCENTIVES

WHAT ARE TAX BENEFITS?

Around the world, governments are increasingly offering tax incentives and benefits to attract filmmakers to their shores – putting themselves in line for significant economic and cultural boosts, while providing you with financial support that could make all the difference to your production.

From tax credits and rebates to grants and exemptions, these attractive incentives can give you extra creative freedom and allow you to elevate production values. Not to mention, it can make location selection a little easier.

WHY NEEDaFIXER?

With so many incentive programs to choose from, where do you even begin? With teams located in over 100 countries, NEEDaFIXER has one the largest global production networks in the world. Our deep knowledge of local incentive programs combined with our unrivalled understanding of the production landscape means we can help you choose the right location, and incentive, for your production and guide you through every step of the application process.

We offer full support in the UK, Greece, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Spain, Cyprus, South Korea, and Turkey, with partial support elsewhere. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of some of the current incentives on offer around the world:

GREECE
UAE
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN
CYPRUS
UNITED KINGDOM
PORTUGAL
TURKEY
NEOM, Saudi Arabia

Greece

Its stunning landscapes and rich culture have long made Greece a favourite destination for international filmmakers. From Glass Onion and Before Midnight to The Lost Daughter and Maria with Angelina Jolie, the country’s timeless natural beauty and bustling towns and cities add a Mediterranean charm to every production. A charm made even more enduring thanks to some excellent incentives.

The National Centre of Audiovisual Media 
and Communication:

    • 40% cash rebate up to 12 million Euros for all production costs. Open to international and domestic films, TV series, documentaries, animations and digital games that choose Greece as their main location.
    • 30% tax relief for high standard projects. Corresponds to eligible expenses deducted from the net results of the financiers of the approved investment plan, and can operate in addition to the cash rebate.

The Greek Film Centre’s Minority Program:

    • Funds fiction, documentary and animation projects that originate outside Greece, have a Greek minority co-producer, and have Greek participation in either cast, crew, labs, and/or shooting in Greece.

The Location Scouting Support Program by the Hellenic Film Commission of the Greek Film Centre:

    • Offers subsidies up to 10,000 Euros for feature films and documentaries that have a minimum of 15 or 7 shoot days in Greece respectively, and have either a Greek minority co-producer, or a commitment to collaborate during scouting with a Greek production company.
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UAE

With its future-focused mindset, sweeping desert landscapes and beautiful coastline, the UAE has become a popular destination for a wide range of filming projects. Recent examples include Dune Part One, which was shot against the backdrop of the mesmerizing Liwa Desert, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which featured Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.

The UAE Government

    • 30% cash rebate on productions within the country
    • Managed by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission
    • Applies to feature films, television dramas, commercials and documentaries
    • Can cover travel and accommodation, and includes location support, permits, and other services.
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SOUTH KOREA

Whether you look to the international breakthrough of BTS and BLACKPINK, multi-award-winning movies such as Parasite, or the cultural influence of TV shows such as Squid Games, there’s no denying the popularity of South Korea in today’s creative landscape. The popularity of K-Dramas, K-Pop and the Korean film industry have helped boost South Korea’s demand as a filming destination; aided even further by its main location incentive.

The Korean Film Council

    • The Location Incentive for Foreign Audio-Visual Works is available to films, TV series and documentaries made by foreign production companies.
    • Allocation of foreign capital in the production costs must exceed 80%.
    • There are two types of support:
      • 25% rebate for shoots of more than 10 days in Korea that spend more than 800 million KRW (550,000 Euros / 600,000 USD)
      • 20% rebate for shoots of more than 5 days in Korea that spend between 100 million and 800 million KRW (70,000 – 550,000 Euros / 75,000 – 600,000 USD).
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SPAIN

With friendly locals, sun-kissed beaches and vibrant cities, Spain has become a renowned global hub for film. Playing host to an enviable roster of productions, including Game of Thrones, 007: The World is not Enough, and Golden Globe-winning Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the region’s consistently warm climate makes it a hotspot for outdoor shoots. And the great tax incentives turn up the heat even more.

The Spanish Government

    • 30% tax rebate for the first million Euros, and 25% beyond that
    • Applies to films and series, and is valid across live-action or animation, fiction or documentary
    • Requires a Spanish production service company and having the Spanish Cultural Certificate granted by the Public Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts of Spain
    • 35% tax credit for productions in Basque Country and Navarre
    • Canary Islands offer a 50% tax rebate on the first mullion Euros and 45% thereafter.
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CYPRUS

With 648km of coastline, ruins of ancient city kingdoms, labyrinthine streets, modern cityscapes and picturesque vineyards, Cyprus is a treasure trove of spectacular filming locations. And if the abundance of natural light, compliments of the over 300 days of sunshine a year, isn’t enough to pique your interest then perhaps these dazzling tax incentives will.

The Cyprus Filming Scheme

    • Managed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus
    • 40% tax rebate on eligible expenditure
    • 50% tax credit against taxable income
    • Tax discounts on investments in infrastructure and equipment
    • VAT returns on qualifying expenditures
    • Additional tax exemptions on various expenditures
    • Applies to feature films, TV series or mini-series, documentaries, animation, TV research programs and natural history
    • Can include accommodation, travel, equipment rental and post-production services.
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UNITED KINGDOM

The UK may be a small island, but it has huge clout when it comes to filming. It’s astoundingly diverse geography, architecture and infrastructure has set the scene for countless cult-classic productions, including Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders. And with such an influential hold on the industry, you might be surprised to learn that the UK offers production incentives that are widely recognized as some of the most transparent, inclusive and reliable in the world.

The British Film Commission

    • 25% cash rebate on qualifying expenditure
    • Applies to film, high-end Television and animation
    • No cap on the amount of tax relief that can be claimed
    • All reliefs capped at 80% of the total production budget.
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PORTUGAL

With landscapes that captivate, beaches that dazzle and cities that entrance, Portugal is a true hidden gem for filmmakers. It’s unique mix of climate, geography and art have served as the backdrop to a growing list of productions, including The Ninth Gate, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The House of the Spirits, Night Train to Lisbon, House of the Dragon and Vampire Academy. With excellent incentives on offer, your production can truly shine in Portugal.

The Portugal Film Commission

    • The Incentive to Production and Filming is one of the most competitive financial incentive systems in Europe
    • Support rate of 25%, which can be increased to 30% (as determined by the Culture Test)
    • Applies to film, audiovisual and VOD productions with a minimum spend of €500,000 for fiction or animation projects and € 250,000 for documentary or post-production projects
    • Maximum incentive allocated per project is four million Euros
    • Payments available in advance and in instalments.
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Turkey

When you choose Turkey as a filming location, you are choosing the extraordinary. From its authentic historical settings and unspoiled natural wonders to the diverse cityscapes and fantastical plays of light, there are magical moment waiting around every corner of Turkey. Made even more magical but some excellent tax incentives.

The Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry 
of Culture and Tourism

    • 30% cash rebate on all eligible expenses
    • Applies to feature films, documentaries and TV series with a Turkish co-producer or production-service provider who has produced at least two feature films or one TV series of at least one season within the last five years
    • VAT refund available to foreign film producers for all expenses relating to the procurement and import of goods and services during the shooting of a film (not applicable to Turkish tax residents).
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NEOM, Saudi Arabia

With its blend of modern infrastructure, sprawling desert-scapes, and white sandy beaches, NEOM stands as a beacon of opportunity for filmmakers worldwide, offering access to a wealth of untapped locations just waiting to be shot. Serving as the backdrop for blockbusters like Desert Warrior and TV shows like Million Dollar Island, NEOM offers state-of-the-art production facilities, including purpose-built sound stages, construction warehouses, and prop shops, that will help bring your vision to life; further enriched by its enticing tax incentives.

The Saudi Arabian Government

    • 40% cash rebate on all eligible expenses
    • Applies to feature films, TV shows, documentaries, and commercials with a minimum spend of $500,000
    • Additional uplifts may apply for NEOM sourced expenditures, including:
      • Goods and services provided within NEOM
      • Use of land and facilities within NEOM
      • Up to 50% of Above-the-Line (ATL) costs (not exceeding 20% of the overall production)
    • Expenditure must be incurred by a KSA registered company
    • Additional percentage rebates may apply based on the project’s contributions to the development of the NEOM media industry ecosystem
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