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Practical Manual for Companies 2024.

Deduction applicable to the taxpayer who participates in the financing of Spanish film productions and live shows (art. 39.7 LIS)

A. Scope of application

With effect for tax periods beginning on or after 1 January 2021, the taxpayer who participates in the financing of Spanish productions of feature and short films and audiovisual series of fiction, animation, documentaries or production and exhibition of live performing arts and musical shows made by other taxpayers, may apply the deductions ## provided for in sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS , under the conditions and terms indicated therein, their amount being determined under the same conditions as they would have been applied to the producer, provided that they have been generated by the latter. 

The provisions of article 39.7 of the LIS will not apply when the taxpayer participating in the financing is linked , within the meaning of article 18 of the LIS, with the taxpayer who generates the right to the deduction provided for in sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS.

The application of the deduction by the taxpayer participating in the financing will be incompatible , totally or partially, with the deduction to which the producer would be entitled by application of the provisions of sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS.

B. Requirements

  1. Contribution of amounts intended to finance all or part of the production costs, as well as the expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion by the producer up to the limit of 30 percent of the production costs, without acquiring intellectual property rights or other rights with respect to the results of the productions or shows, which must in all cases belong to the producer.

    The amounts to finance the production costs may be contributed at any stage of production , before or after the producer incurs the aforementioned production costs, and until obtaining the certificates of nationality and the certificate accrediting the cultural character in relation to its content, as well as the one obtained by the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music, as the case may be. The amounts to finance the expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion by the producer referred to in the first paragraph of article 39.7 of the LIS may be contributed before or after the moment in which the producer incurs the aforementioned expenses, but never after the tax period in which the producer incurs them.

    Keep in mind:

    The direct promotional costs referred to in article 36.3 of the LIS must be understood to be included within the expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion.

  2. Subscription to a financing contract

    The producer and the contributors who participate in the financing of the production must sign at any phase of the production one or more financing contracts in which the following details are specified, among others:

    • Identity of the contributors involved in production and financing.

    • Description of production.

    • Production budget with a detailed description of the expenses and, in particular, those that will be incurred in Spanish territory. The budget for the costs of obtaining copies, advertising and promotion by the producer will also be included, with a detailed description of those to be carried out in Spanish territory.

    • Method of financing of production and expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion to be borne by the producer, specifying separately the amounts contributed by the producer, those contributed by the taxpayer who participates in its financing and those corresponding to subsidies and other support measures.

  3. Communication to the Tax Administration

    Furthermore, in order to apply this deduction, the taxpayer participating in the financing must present the financing contract and certification of compliance with requirements a') and b') of section 1 or requirement a) of section 3 of article 36 of the LIS, as appropriate, in a communication to the Tax Administration , signed by both the producer and the taxpayer participating in the financing of the production, prior to the end of the tax period in which the latter is entitled to apply the deduction.

C. Maximum amount of the deduction

The taxpayer who participates in the financing of the aforementioned productions may apply the deduction in his/her self-assessment, determining its amount under the same conditions as those applied to the producer, provided that they have been generated by the latter.

However, the maximum amount of the deduction may be applied by the taxpayer participating in the financing will be the result of multiplying by the amount of the sums that the latter has contributed to finance the production costs or the expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion at the expense of the producer referred to in previous paragraphs. The excess deduction may be applied by the producer who has generated the right to it.

Joint limit:

The amount of the deduction applied by the taxpayer participating in the financing must be taken into account for the purposes of applying joint limit 25 percent established in article 39.1 of the LIS. This limit will be raised to 50 percent when the amount of the deduction provided for in sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS, which corresponds to the taxpayer who participates in the financing, is equal to or greater than 25 percent of its full share reduced by deductions to avoid international double taxation and bonuses.

D. Completion of form 200

The taxpayer who participates in the financing of the production and wants to prove his right to apply the deduction of sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS , must first mark the box [00074] "Taxpayer who finances productions with the right to the deduction of art. 36.1 and 36.3 LIS" on page 1 of form 200.

In addition to checking box [00074], the taxpayer who participates in the financing of the production, in order to apply the deduction provided for in sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS , must enter in section "Additional information on Spanish film productions and live shows" on page 18 of form 200, the NIF of the taxpayer who carries out the production or show that he finances.

Regarding the settlement of the tax, the taxpayer who participates in the financing must complete the boxes [02462] «2024: Funder: Spanish film productions" and [02455] «2024: Funder: "Live shows of performing and musical arts" on page 17 of form 200 when in the tax period beginning in 2024 has consolidated the right to apply the deduction of article 36.1 or 36.3 of the LIS, respectively. This amount may not be included in the model 200 submitted by the producer, that is, the producer in the boxes [00807]«2024: Producer: Spanish film productions" and [01075] «2024: Producer: "Live shows of performing and musical arts" on page 17 of form 200, you may only complete the amount of the deductions in articles 36.1 and 36.3 of the LIS that will be applied in your settlement, as a producer, when you meet the requirements regulated in the aforementioned articles to be able to do so. In addition, the taxpayer participating in the financing must complete in boxes [02463] and [02456] on page 17 of form 200, the amount of the deductions of articles 36.1 and 36.3 of the LIS that he applies in his liquidation for having complied with the requirements provided for in the aforementioned articles. Finally, the boxes [02464] and [02457] from page 17 of form 200 will be completed by the amount resulting from reducing the deduction pending or generated in 2024 by the amount of the deduction that has been applied in the settlement of the tax period being declared.

Remember:

When all or part of the production costs, as well as the expenses for obtaining copies, advertising and promotion charged to the producer have been financed by other taxpayers, the producer must mark in the tax period in which he applies the deduction provided for in sections 1 and 3 of article 36 of the LIS, box [00044] "Taxpayer who applies deductions of art. 36.1 and 36.3 LIS with financing carried out by other taxpayers" on page 1 of form 200.

Example

Company "A", whose tax period coincides with the calendar year and whose net turnover did not exceed 20 million euros, carries out an activity for which it is entitled to apply a deduction for research and development expenses incurred during the 2023 and 2024 financial years. Furthermore, the company has financed the production of a Spanish film for which it can apply the deduction for investments in Spanish film productions (article 36.1 of the Spanish Tax Law), in accordance with the provisions regarding financiers of film productions in article 39.7 of the Spanish Tax Law. Company "A" that participates in the financing is not linked to the producer that generates the deduction of article 36.1 of the LIS. Production of the film is expected to conclude in 2024.

The data of company "A" to be taken into account in its Corporate Tax settlement are the following:

Fiscal Year 2023

  • Full share: 120,000 euros
  • R&D deduction (art. 35 LIS) generated in the fiscal year: 15,000 euros
  • Film production data:
  • Total cost for fiscal year 2023: 180,000 euros (100,000 euros correspond to the producer and 40,000 euros to the financier)

Exercise 2024

  • Full share: 140,000 euros
  • R&D deduction (art. 35 LIS) generated in the fiscal year: 25,000 euros
  • Film production data:
  • Total cost for the year 2024: 170,000 euros (120,000 euros correspond to the producer and 30,000 euros to the financier)

1) Settlement of Corporate Tax 2023

First of all, company “A” must take into account the deduction amounts that entitle it to raising the deduction limits.

  • Checking the limit of article 39.1 of the LIS:

    R&D deduction (art. 35 LIS): 15,000 euros

    10% (120,000) = 12,000 euros

    15,000 euros > 12,000 euros, so you should apply the joint limit of 50%:

    Limit art. 39.1 LIS: 50% (120,000) = 60,000 euros

  • Deduction from article 36.1 of the LIS generated by the producer in 2023:

    (180,000 x 0.3) = 54,000 euros

  • Application of deductions in the settlement period:

    Company "A" must bear in mind that it cannot apply the deduction that corresponds to it as a taxpayer who participates in the financing of film productions (article 39.7 LIS) until production is completed in the 2024 fiscal year. Therefore, company "A" will only be able to apply the R&D deduction (Article 35 LIS) in the 2023 financial year for an amount of 15,000 euros.

Company "A" will complete the table of deductions to incentivize certain activities (page 17 of Form 200) for the 2023 financial year as follows:

Deduction modality Pending/generated deduction Applied in the liquidation Pending application
2023: Investigation and development 3,000 3,000 0

2) Settlement of Corporate Tax 2024

First of all, company “A” must take into account the deduction amounts that entitle it to raising the deduction limits.

  • Checking the limit of article 39.1 of the LIS:

    R&D deduction (art. 35 LIS): 25,000 euros

    10% (140,000) = 14,000 euros

    25,000 euros > 14,000 euros, so you should apply the joint limit of 50%:

    Limit art. 39.1 LIS: 50% (140,000) = 70,000 euros

  • Deduction from article 36.1 of the LIS generated by the producer in 2023:

    (170,000 x 0.3) = 51,000 euros

  • Checking the limit of article 39.7 of the LIS:

    Total deduction from article 36.1 of the LIS generated by the producer in 2023 and 2024:

    (350,000 x 0.3) = 105,000 euros

  • Maximum deduction amount of article 39.7 LIS that the financier can apply:

    ([40,000 + 30,000] x 1.2) = 84,000 euros

    The maximum amount of the deduction generated by the producer (105,000 euros) that company "A" may apply as a financier of the film production will be the result of multiplying by 1.20 the amount that said company has contributed to finance the aforementioned production costs (70,000 euros).

    Therefore, of the deduction generated by the producer (105,000 euros), company "A" must apply 84,000 euros. In addition, the excess deduction (105,000 – 84,000 = 21,000) may be applied by the producer who has generated the right to the deduction.

  • Application of deductions in the settlement period:

    Deduction for Spanish film productions financed by the financing company (article 39.7 LIS): 84,000 euros

    Limit calculation article 39.7 of the LIS:

    25% (140,000) = 35,000 euros

    105,000 euros > 35,000 euros, so you must apply the joint limit of 50%

    Limit art. 39.7 LIS: 50% (140,000) = 70,000 euros

    Thus, for the purposes of applying the R&D deduction (Article 35 LIS) and the deduction for taxpayers who participate in the financing of film productions (Article 39.7 LIS), company "A" may apply the amount of the two deductions up to the combined limit of 50 percent, so that:

    Joint limit for the 2024 fiscal year: 50% (140,000) = 70,000 euros

    Company "A" can apply the deduction provided for in Article 35 of the LIS in the amount of 25,000 euros in the 2024 financial year, and as for the deduction provided for in Article 39.7 of the LIS, in this financial year 2024 it can apply the amount of 84,000 euros, since the film was completed in this financial year 2024.

    The combined limit is 70,000 euros, and the total amount of deductions to be applied by the company in this fiscal year is 109,000 euros. Therefore, the company must decide which deduction(s) to apply. We understand that the most advantageous option for society would be to first apply the deduction of article 39.7 of the LIS, since the R&D deduction has a longer period of application, 18 years, compared to the 15 years provided for the deduction of article 39.7 of the LIS.

Therefore, the company will complete the table of deductions to incentivize certain activities (page 17 of Form 200) for the 2024 financial year as follows:

Deduction modality Pending/generated deduction Applied in the liquidation Pending application
Sum deductions Chap. IV Tit. VI Law 43/95, RDLeg. 4/2004 and LIS  0 0 0
2024: Investigation and development 25,000 0 25,000
2024: Funder: Spanish film productions 84,000 70,000 14,000