Industry

The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance of Ireland, Simon Harris T.D. and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D. have launched a new tax relief for the unscripted production sector.

The relief will take the form of a corporation tax credit for expenditure incurred on the development of unscripted programmes and will be available at a rate of 20% of certain production expenditure up to a maximum limit of €15 million per project.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “I am delighted, along with Minister O’Donovan, to announce the commencement of this Tax Credit for Unscripted Production which will provide certainty and support for a rapidly growing part of our audiovisual sector. Ireland has a brilliant reputation internationally as being a centre of excellence for film television and audio production. The introduction of this measure represents a further strengthening of Ireland’s tax incentives for the audiovisual sector, reinforcing the Government’s long-standing commitment to supporting screen production and Irish creative industries. The Tax Credit for Unscripted Production is a natural addition to this and ensures that Ireland remains an extremely competitive location for audiovisual production now and into the future.”

First in Europe

This novel incentive, the first tax credit in Europe dedicated solely to unscripted programming, is designed to support the expression of Irish and European culture in the fast-growing unscripted sector and to grow Ireland’s audiovisual industry by attracting international investment as well as encouraging increased activity in the domestic space.

Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “Unscripted programming is one of the most dynamic and internationally successful parts of the global audiovisual industry, and Ireland has the talent, creativity and production expertise to lead in this space. This new tax credit is about backing Irish storytellers, producers and crews, while ensuring that Irish and European culture is clearly reflected on screens at home and around the world. By being the first in Europe to introduce a dedicated incentive for unscripted production, we are sending a strong signal that Ireland is open, competitive and ambitious when it comes to creative investment and cultural expression."

The relief is a cultural one, therefore a cultural test will also apply. In order to claim the credit, a company must first apply to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for interim cultural certification in advance of undertaking production on a qualifying unscripted programme.