Irish Film Industry Gets Tax Boost for Local Productions

The Irish government has revealed an 8% increase to the film and television tax incentive for low to mid-range budget local productions featuring Irish creative talent, as part of its 2025 budget.

Ireland‘s Section 481 film tax incentive now stands at 40% and is applicable to productions with a maximum global budget of €20 million ($22.1 million). It remains subject to state aid approval, with further details expected in an upcoming finance bill next week.

The budget 2025 also introduced a 20% tax incentive for unscripted production. Minister for Finance Jack Chambers unveiled the new measures, which aims to bolster domestic feature film production. The announcement also included recognition of the VFX industry’s growth potential.

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The announcement comes amid a period of international acclaim for Irish screen content. Recent milestones include Ireland’s Oscar candidate “Kneecap” becoming winning at Sundance, “Small Things Like These” opening the Berlin International Film Festival, and five Irish films premiering at Cannes.

Screen Ireland, the national agency for the Irish screen industry, welcomed the move. Chair Ray Harman said: “The uplift in the tax incentive has significant potential to expand the depth and breadth of local industry filmmaking, continuing to build creative opportunities for local talent within the sector.”

CEO Désirée Finnegan added: “In an intensely competitive global industry, the fiscal incentive together with Screen Ireland investment, is vital in supporting Irish filmmaking and storytelling on screen, led by Irish creative talent. These enhancements support the continued development of Ireland as a cultural powerhouse and a creative production partner on an international scale.”

The enhanced incentives come in the wake of neighbor U.K.’s new Independent Film Tax Credit, which was introduced in March and is already having an impact.

As the Irish screen sector continues to expand, Screen Ireland has also ventured into digital games with IndieDev, a cross-border games prototype fund — the first of its kind in Ireland.