Overview
The Motion Picture Industry Development Tax Credit
provides a 30% tax credit on qualified motion picture expenditures
with no project or program caps. Payroll expenditures for Louisiana
residents qualify for an additional 5% tax credit (35% effective
total credit rate).
Benefits
Production Incentives
Fully transferable tax credit of 30% on in-state expenditures
related to the production of a motion picture.
An additional 5% tax credit for Louisiana payroll
expenditures.
No annual cap or per-project cap on tax credits.
A production company has several ways to
use a tax credit:
- Tax credits can be applied against any Louisiana income tax
liabilities
- Production companies can also claim a direct refund for 85% of
the face value of the tax credit from the Louisiana Department of
Revenue.
- Tax credits can be transferred or sold by a production company
to a third party.
Eligibility
Must spend at least $300,000 on motion picture productions in
Louisiana.
For comprehensive rules and details on eligibility, please
review Related Content below and contact the
appropriate administrator.
How to Apply
Complete and submit the Motion Picture Production Application
located in the Related Content section to
Louisiana Economic Development.
In addition to the application, the following materials are
required with submission (all information below must be received
before pre-certification is issued):
- Application fee (minimum: $200 / maximum: $5,000): Fee is
assessed as 0.2% of the total amount of tax credits for which the
production qualified.
- Detailed preliminary budget
- National multi-market distribution plan
- Statement that the project meets the definition of a
"state-certified production."
- Notarized statement
- LA LLC & LA Tax ID #
- Any other information requested by the office needed to make a
determination
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY FOR ALL INITIAL CERTIFICATIONS: In
accordance with state law, prior to any certification of the
issuance of an initial certification, the motion picture production
company shall submit to the Office of Entertainment Industry
Development a notarized statement agreeing to pay all vendors. To
view a copy of the statement, click here. To view ACT 478, click here.
Related Content
Administration
If you have any questions or need to know if credits have been
certified, contact our office at 225.342.5403 or led-entertainment@la.gov.
For more information on the motion picture industry, contact the
program administrator:
Christopher Stelly
Director, Film and Television
225.342.5403
Chris.Stelly@la.gov
