State-by-state production incentives
Rhode Island
| Rhode Island | |
| Incentive Type | Transferable tax credit |
| Incentives Highlights | 25% transferable tax credit of qualified spend. Residents and non-residents qualify, but only purchases from vendors who maintain a RI base and are subject to RI taxation are qualified. |
| Eligible Projects | Films, television pilots series, commercials and video games |
| Minimum Spend | $300,000 and 51% of the project must be shot in the state. |
| Production Cap or Annual Cap | $15M annual cap. No salary or project caps. |
| Application/Reporting Requirements | Productions must apply prior to the start of filming. Insurance and bond fees are excluded. The production company must be domiciled in RI. |
| Loan-Out Reg Required? | No |
| CPA Audit? | Yes |
Rhode Island Film & Television Office
Steven Feinberg, Executive Director
steven@arts.ri.gov
t: (401) 222-3456
hotline: (401) 222-6666
f: (401) 222-3018
www.film.ri.gov
Rhode Island offers a 25% transferable income tax credit for qualified spend, including salaries for both in-state and out-of-state cast and crew working in Rhode Island. There are no salary caps, but the total production budget must exceed $300,000, and a minimum of 51% of the production must be shot on the ground in Rhode Island. A total of $15 million per year is available.
Only purchases from vendors who maintain a place of business in Rhode Island, and (1) are subject to Rhode Island taxation, and (2) are qualified to do business in Rhode Island, will qualify for the incentive. The motion picture production company must be domiciled in Rhode Island.
“Total production budget” is defined as all production costs including, but not limited to, the purchase of the screenplay, salaries, equipment, film processing, sound, editing, and other services related to a production filmed in Rhode Island, and excludes costs associated with the promotion or marketing of the film, video or television product. Insurance and completion bond are excluded. The credit shall not exceed the total production budget and can offset income tax for the taxable period in which the credit is earned, or can be carried forward for not more than three (3) succeeding tax years. Transferring the credits requires notifying the Rhode Island Film Office, and paying a fee of $200.
An application must be filed prior to the start of production.
There is an experienced local crew base, but cast (including loan-outs) and crew from anywhere qualifies for the incentive, as long as they are working in
the state.
The state website includes location shots and a production guide.