The Lithuanian Film Centre (LFC) announces that the upgraded Lithuanian 30% Tax Incentive scheme is now active. The incentive came into effect in January 2014 as a new policy measure to foster local and foreign film production in Lithuania. As of 2019, the incentive provides an opportunity to save up to 30% of the film’s production budget through a private investment scheme. The legislation has been renewed for the next five-year period.
The tax incentive scheme is managed by the LFC and is available for the productions of feature films, TV dramas, documentaries, and animated films. These include domestically produced, co-produced or commissioned films (produced under the service agreement).
The film tax incentive is only applicable for films that meet the approved production and content requirements. In order to apply for support, one must have a Lithuania-registered company or a Lithuanian partner company, at least 80% of eligible film production costs must be incurred in Lithuania, and the total amount of eligible expenditure in Lithuania must be at least 43,000 EUR.
During the first 5-year period when the tax incentive for film production was offered, Lithuania managed to firmly establish its position in the market of audiovisual services exports and successfully compete with neighboring, Western European and other countries. Local film professionals have earned the trust of the most prominent film production companies. The country’s filming profile has been rising in recent years, with high-profile big-budget dramas. Lithuania has hosted numerous major international productions, including HBO’s Chernobyl, BBC’s War and Peace, Netflix’s Tokyo Trial, and many more.