Film Relief (Section 481 Film Tax Credit)

Film Withholding Tax (FWT)

A qualifying company may employ non-resident actors from outside:

  • the European Union (EU)
  • or
  • the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United Kingdom (UK).

If it does, it must withhold tax from their payment. This is known as Film Withholding Tax. FWT has been in operation since 10 January 2015 and the rate of tax is 20%. 

The company can make this payment to a company, agent, manager or other third party on behalf of the actor. 

A company may also hire a non-resident actor in a dual capacity. For example, an actor can work as a director also. If this is the case, the company must only withhold tax from the payment that relates to acting. 

If the actor is resident in the United States (US), a company must charge FWT on payments (including expenses) over US $20,000. This is because there is a Double Taxation Treaty between Ireland and the US. 

A company will require the following information from the non-resident person they are paying in order to operate FWT correctly:

  • Their address.
  • Their country of residence.
  • and
  • Their Tax Reference Number (TRN) in the country of residence. 

The company must complete a Form FWT 45 (certificate of deduction) when operating FWT. This form is not available to download, but can be requested by emailing Revenue’s Film Withholding Tax Unit. Your email should include the following information:

  • The name of the qualifying company.
  • The company’s TRN.
  • A contact name and their contact details.
  • Address for forms to be sent to.
  • and
  • The number of forms required. 

Once the Form FWT 45 is completed, the company must:

  • give part 1 to the person they are paying
  • and
  • keep part 2 for their records. 

FWT returns

A company must submit a tax return for each month they make a payment and withhold tax. The return must include:

  • details of the person they are paying
  • details of the payment
  • and
  • the security number on the Form FWT 45. 

The company can email a request for a tax return form from Revenue’s Film Withholding Tax Unit. Their request must include:

  • the name of the company
  • the TRN of the company
  • and
  • a contact name and their contact details. 

The tax return must be filed through the Revenue File Transfer Service for FWT (RFTS FWT) by the 23rd of the month after the payment is made. The FWT should be paid to Revenue at this time. 

Any late payments may incur an interest charge.  A late return may incur a penalty charge. The maximum penalty charged is €5,000. A return is not required if there was no FWT withheld. 

How do you pay Revenue FWT?

You are able to make payments for FWT through Revenue Online Service (ROS) and myAccount using a variety of payment methods.