AGSC advocacy on Screen Production Incentives Legislation 2021

The Government has drafted a bill of proposed changes to our tax laws that affect screen production incentives including the following:

• Producer Offset
• Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Offset
• Qualifying Expenditure Thresholds for accessing the Offsets.

These measures affect the ability of productions to claim the expenditure which allows them to be viable and create the documentaries, low budget films and other content which underpin the Australian screen production output.

• Read AGSC President Antony Partos’ Opening Statement

• Watch the Senate Committee Proceedings

Note: Antony is speaking from 15:35:00, and this the final session of the day.

• Read our joint submission with APRA AMCOS

• Read the combined ASIGA network submission

The Treasury Laws Amendment Bill and Schedule 1 Measures

December 2021 Update
Historic Victory for the advocacy of our industry

After twelve months of intense lobbying by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers and APRA AMCOS, in partnership with producers, writers, directors and the documentary, post-production and visual effects screen sector, new legislation will see a significant boost to local screen production, and enhance the livelihoods of screen composers.

Yesterday parliament passed legislation that not only increased the Producer Offset for television productions from 20 to 30 per cent but also removed proposed amendments that stood to adversely affect the telling of so many important Australian stories.

The Bill includes a welcomed a measure to increase the Producer Offset for eligible films not released in cinemas (aka by the screen industry as television content) from 20% to 30%, alongside the removal of the 65 hour cap for scripted content as qualifying expenditure.  Other measures that were retained were  the Gallipoli Clause, the current qualifying expenditure thresholds of $500K for documentary and post-production. The cap on copyright material able to be claimed against the offset has been increased to 50% of overall budget for the next 2 years, a welcome relief from the proposed 30% cap.

• Read all about this historic win for the screen sector in the joint AGSC and APRA AMCOS Media Statement HERE

Other Media:

Media: Offset Reform passes, QAPE offset threshold to remain at $500K , Gallipoli Clause remains – IF Media 1 Nov 2021

Media: Local TV and Film wins as government agrees to more generous tax breaks – SMH 1 Nov 2021

August 2021 update

The Government issued the Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 5) Bill 2021 in early August 2021, following a Draft Exposure Bill in May. The Bill was passed by the Lower House of Representatives on 10 August. The Bill is being reviewed by the Senate Committee for the Environment and Communications in preparation for the Senate vote after 20 August 2021. Key to this Bill is the increase from 20% to 30% for the Producer Offset applying to eligible films not released in cinemas.

The AGSC made a joint submission with APRA AMCOS in response to the Bill and is a signatory on a combined submission from the Australian Screen Industry Guilds and Associations network (ASIGA).

On 20 August 2021, the AGSC and APRA AMCOS were invited to participate a witnesses to a Senate Committee Hearing for this Bill. Four panels of industry representatives spoke during the 3 hour hearing, with Antony Partos representing the AGSC. Dean Ormston from APRA AMCOS supported us by speaking directly with Senators, letting them know why this Bill should not pass in its present form.

We are urging the Senate to not vote for the Bill with all the detrimental measures included, but to vote for a Bill which keeps the 30% offset increase and the removal of 65 episode cap, and OMITS the rest, so it can pass through parliament.