Louisiana offers a 30% fully-transferable tax credit for in-state expenditures related to the production of a motion picture. An additional 5% labor tax credit can be earned on the payroll of Louisiana residents that are employed by a state certified motion picture production.  Louisiana does not require a certain percentage of crew be Louisiana residents.  Louisiana does allow loan outs.  However, anyone who is paid for work performed in Louisiana is expected to pay Louisiana income tax.

To qualify, productions

• Must have a Louisiana corporation such as an LLC to spend the money
• Must be initially certified by the State of Louisiana
• Must spend at least $300,000 in Louisiana
• Must have their expenditures audited by a licensed Louisiana CPA

There is no cap on how much a production can spend and earn in tax credits.  Unlike many other states, Louisiana does not cap its program on an annual basis.

Only money spent on your production costs within the borders of the state of Louisiana will qualify for the 30% incentive.  That includes all services that are performed in Louisiana from residents and non-residents alike. Now, you have the option to transfer credits (incentives) to the state for $.85 on the dollar.

The Celtic Group, which owns the Celtic Media Centre, can help productions find Louisiana buyers for tax credits who may be willing to pay better than $.85 on the dollar.  For more information, contact Patrick Mulhearn, Director of Studio Operations, at (225) 330-6000 or visit CelticTaxCredits.com.

For more information on qualifying for Louisiana's motion picture investor tax credit, please visit the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development's website.