dominican republic

The main incentive for foreign productions is a Transferable Tax Credit of 25% of eligible costs, which means the government issues the credit and then it needs to be transferred (sold) to a DR taxpayer.

Everything is eligible (ATL and BTL), except for per diems, finance charges, completion bond, unit publicity and marketing costs.

Yes, subject to being paid via the local Production Services company and withheld 1.5% income tax from their gross salary.

Series, TV Mini Series, TV Reality Shows, Documentaries, Telenovelas and Music Videos under the Art.39 Incentive of the DR film law. Note that these projects must be exhibited in the Dominican Republic (it can be as simple as organizing a screening for local crew and the DR Film Commision).

Minimum spend of USD $500K, a signed production services agreement with a local provider, and the use of Dominican

crew (minimum amount of Dominican crew required in 2019 is 25% of number of crew members for the whole project).

The incentive only has 2 eligibility caps:3% for

development costs and 6% for producer fees. There are no caps for budget size nor talent fees.

An audit, ranging from USD$10,000 to USD $25,000, depending on the size of the project, a Tax Credit

Management Fee, ranging from USD $10,000 to USD $20,000, and registration of every foreign crew and cast member into Sirecine (a Film Commission database), which costs

USD $20 for each cast and crew member, and USD $40 for director and producers.

Any company or individual who pays income tax in the DR.

There are many businesses that buy tax credit in the DR. In 2018, 100% of credits available in the DR were sold, close to USD8M.

The timeline from the end of the production audit to the selling of the tax credits ranges between 10 and 14 months.

The key permit is the Shooting Permit (Permiso Único de Rodaje or PUR), which is necessary to make costs eligible for the incentive, and it’s also necessary to get location permits from government agencies, customs’ free temporary importation of goods, and to access any other government support for the production.

Practically all the necessary film equipment can be sourced locally. There are several vendors that service more than 30 films and over 300 commercials, each year. The biggest film supplier is PJ Gaffers, based at PWDR. You can find locally: Alexa Cameras, Ultra Prime Lenses, Anamorphics, Arrimax HMIs, Techno Cranes, etc.

You do not need to import film equipment, except for specialty gear, such as Motion Control or Pursuit Arms and Helicopter Mounts. Gimbals and SFX Gear might also need to be imported, depending on the needs.

When shooting in the DR, the production is allowed to bring cargo without paying the regular import taxes. This requires that the client provides detailed information of cargo at least 10 days before arrival, so the Customs Broker can do all pertinent paperwork and have permits on time for the entry. With the correct paperwork beforehand, the cargo can be released in a matter of days (3 working days).