TAX INCENTIVES

WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR
AUDIOVISUAL PROJECT IN BOGOTÁ

Shooting in Bogota

Colombia offers incentives for audiovisual projects completely or partially developed in the country thank to the Law 1556 of 2012. Additionally, Bogota has exemptions in the cost of The Unified Permit for Audiovisual Filming – PUFA for local and foreign projects. You can find the information here according to the characteristics of your project:

The Bogota film Commission, from the District Institute of the Arts – Idartes, supports and contributes to the local production through exemptions in the payment of the Unified Permits for Audiovisual Filming – PUFA for the following projects:

Audiovisual projects that are funded with public resources from the Nation or the Capital District, except for filming that are done custom made and on third party risk, will have a reduction of approximately 70% on the total cost of the PUFA.

Colombian projects that are beneficiaries of the Law 1556 of 2012, if the cinematographic or television services are hired with companies or societies based in Bogota, will have a reduction of approximately 70% of the total cost of the PUFA.

Filming projects that have Recognition Resolution as National Project, according with what is stablished in the Law 814 of 2013 in agreement with the norm the regulates it,will have a reduction of approximately 70% on the total cost of the PUFA.

This law facilitates movie production in Colombia and contributes with the development of a sustainable industry. It contains two main mechanisms to promote Colombian cinema:

1. Fund for Cinematographic Development: The Fund for Cinematographic Development (FDC) gets its funding through parafiscal fees charged to exhibitors, distributors and producers as a result of the exhibition of cinematographic pieces in the national territory, The amount generated by the sector comes back to it to impulse growth in the industry.

The resources of the FDC must be allocated as follows: at least 70% to the cinematographic production and the remaining percentage to support complementary lines of action that are set to promote Colombian cinema, such as education, promotion, strengthening of filmic heritage, research, release and access, copyright protection, and administrative and financial expenses. The 70% destined to the productions is delivered to the sector through an annual public tender that is divided in Automatic Stimuli and Stimuli by Contest. The multiple modalities look to cover the different stages in the cinematographic production of every genre.

2. Grant of tax stimuli for investors and donations to cinematographic projects: this consists on a reduction on taxes for Colombian cinematographic projects investors and donors, related to income tax. These can reduce from its taxable base up to 125% of the invested or donated value (in case of donation there is a limit of 30% of liquid income). The objective is to promote the donation and investment on cinema from individuals and private companies and favour the entrepreneurs (in economic terms) as well as the cinema producers, whom will have an important funding source to do more and better movies.

These benefits are exclusive from the ones granted by the Law 1556 of 2012.

It is a strategy from the Culture, Recreation and Sports Secretariat from the Mayor’s Office of Bogota and its attached entities. This program looks to strengthen the initiatives, projects and processes developed by the artistic, cultural and patrimonial agents of Bogota. It is implemented through public tender that grants scholarships, internships or residencies for the development of proposals and prizes as recognition to the productions or trajectories of the sector agents.

The Culture Ministry, through the National Stimuli Program has as purpose to mobilize the Colombian artists, creators, researchers and cultural promoters, both in the national or international context, for them to receive through scholarships, internships, national awards, recognition or artistic residencies a stimuli to their profession, in various disciplines.

This program is focused mainly on individuals or natural persons and the mechanism set to access such stimuli is through annual public tenders, in a way that the shareholders of the cultural sector can access the variety of opportunities.

The Bogota Film Commission from the District Institute of the Arts – Idartes, supports and contributes to the foreign productions made on the city through exemptions in the payment of the Unified Permits for Audiovisual Filming – PUFA for the following projects:

Foreign projects that are beneficiaries of the Law 1556 of 2012, if the cinematographic services are hired with companies or societies based in Bogota, will have a reduction of approximately 50% on the total cost of the PUFA.

Foreign projects that are beneficiaries of the Law 1556 of 2012, if the television services are hired with companies or societies based in Bogota, will have a reduction of approximately 50% on the total cost of the PUFA.

Colombia offers incentives pro audiovisual projects completely or partially developed in the country. This law allows the refund of 40% of the expenses on audiovisual services and 20% of the expenses on logistic services in the country. These services must be provided by Colombian companies or natural persons of Colombian nationality and based on the country.

This benefit can be requested by local and foreign projects related to cinematographic pieces, series and music videoclips in the following modalities:

Production
Production and postproduction
Animation

*The consideration does not apply only for the postproduction modality.

The CINA is a certificate of Tax Discount for 35% of the expenses on audiovisual and logistic services given by Colombian companies or natural persons of Colombian nationality based in the country. This certificate of audiovisual investment is a negotiable value that is issued to the foreign producer, who can negotiate with natural or legal persons.

The foreign projects that can apply to this certificate are cinematographic pieces, series, musical videoclips, videogames or advertisement audiovisual production in the modalities of:

Production
Production and postproduction
Animation

*The consideration does not apply only for the post production modality.

We are a region that has historically created its cinematography through audiovisual co-productions, not only with Latin-American countries, but also with European countries in the likes of France, Holland, Denmark, Italy, among others.

We know the dynamics and advantages naturally related to co-production and we have the benefits and incentives rooted on the Law 814 of 2003. If you are interested, you can look for further information in the co-production guide of Proimagenes Colombia.

* These benefits are exclusive to the ones granted by the consideration of the Law 1556 of 2012.

The Bogota Film Commission from the District Institute of the Arts – Idartes, supports the productions made in academic contexts in the city through exemptions in the payment of the Unified Permits for Audiovisual Filming – PUFA for the following projects:

Audiovisual projects with an academic interest or purpose, will have a reduction of approximately 70% on the total cost of the PUFA.

Remember that you can request consultancy and support to the Bogota Film Commission for any questions or concerns you may have regarding the PUFA process.