Louisiana Entertainment Industry Incentives 
Louisiana offers tax incentive programs designed to encourage motion picture, sound recording, musical and theatrical, and digital interactive media production in our state.
Motion Picture
Production Projects: Investors in state-certified productions occurring after July 1, 2009, with a total base investment greater than $300,000 qualify for a fully transferable Louisiana investment tax credit of 30% of the in-state spend.
- Payroll for Louisiana residents employed in connection with a state-certified production is allowed an additional tax credit of 5% of such payroll up to a salary limit of $1 million for any individual.
- NO CAP ON PRODUCTION INCENTIVE!!!!
- Tax credits can also be sold to the State for 85 cents.
Sound Recording Investor Tax Credit
Production Projects: Until January 1, 2015 investors in state-certified, sound recording productions qualify for a fully refundable tax credit of twenty-five percent (25%) of the base investment in excess of $15,000.
- Annual cap of $3,000,000 for the aggregate of all tax credits certified under this program.
- Project must spend at least $15,000 in Louisiana in a 12-month period to qualify.
Digital Interactive Media Tax Credit
Production projects: Investors in state-certified productions of digital interactive media products and platforms approved on or after July 1, 2009 qualify for a transferable Louisiana investment tax credit equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of such investment.
- To the extent that the base investment is expended on payroll for Louisiana residents employed in a state-certified production, a digital interactive media company is allowed an additional tax credit of ten percent (10%) of the payroll.
- No annual cap on tax credits.
Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit
Production Projects: Investors in state-certified musical or theatrical productions qualify for transferable tax credits according to their total base investment.
Base Investment Tax Credits
- 10% of a $100,001 - $300,000 investment
- 20% of a $300,001 - $1,000,000 investment
- 25% of an investment greater than $1,000,000
Tax credits allowed for the costs of transporting performance related property such as crating, packaging and transportation of sets, costumes or other tangible property are based on the date when state-certified costs are incurred:
- 100% for qualified expenditures incurred until December 31, 2010.
- 50% for qualified expenditures incurred between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.
- 25% for qualified expenditures incurred between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012.
- No tax credits are available for transportation expenditures after December 31, 2012.
Payroll for Louisiana residents employed in connection with a state-certified production is eligible for an additional tax credit of 10% of said payroll up to a salary limit of $1 million for any individual.
Payroll for college and vocational technical students in connection with a state-certified production is eligible for an additional 0.10 percent tax credit of such payroll. This tax credit cannot be combined with the Louisiana resident tax credit. No annual cap on production tax credits.
Infrastructure Projects: Investors in infrastructure projects directly related to the production or performance of musical or theatrical productions, including equipment, immovable and movable property related thereto, and any facility which supports and is a necessary component of such a facility. Qualified investments shall be determined by Louisiana Economic Development.
Amounts and Limitations on Tax Credits
- 10% of a $101,000 - $300,000 investment
- 20% of a $301,000 - $1,000,000 investment
- 25% of an investment greater than $1,000,000
- No more than $10 million may be granted per state certified infrastructure project
- No more than $60 million per year for all state certified infrastructure projects
Duration of Tax Credit - tax credits may be granted until January 14, 2014.
Louisiana entertainment industry tax credits are administered by the Office of Entertainment Industry of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. For information contact:
Louisiana Department of Economic Development
Sherri McConnell, Director
Entertainment Industry Division
Email:
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Web: www.ledlouisiana.com
Ph: (225)342-5832
