Virginia Motion Picture Tax Credit
Virginia offers a 15% refundable credit (20%+ with bonuses for distressed areas and resident hiring), plus a separate Governor's grant fund.
How the program works
- • 15% on qualified in-jurisdiction spend
- • +10% — Distressed-area / resident bonus: Bonuses for filming in economically distressed areas and for Virginia-resident payroll; a separate grant fund also exists.
- Max effective rate: 25%
- • Minimum qualified spend: $0
- • Researched estimate — confirm exact rates, caps, and qualifying-spend rules with the film office before relying on these numbers.
- • CPA / state audit required
How it becomes cash
This is a refundable credit. The state pays out the amount above your tax liability as a cash refund, so you don't need in-state tax to benefit.
Are you a film commissioner or agency with official updates to this program? If you have corrections to this documentation, please submit them here.
Submit an update →This is an estimate, not advice.
Every number here is an estimate generated from published program rules and your inputs. Programs change with each legislative session, and qualification depends on details a calculator can't see. This is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Before you make a financing decision, confirm everything with the state film office and a qualified CPA and entertainment attorney.