Trinidad's film rebate: what producers get back
Trinidad and Tobago pays back up to 35% of film spending, plus 20% on local labour, through 2027. Who qualifies, how the process works and what to watch.
Trinidad and Tobago will pay back up to 35 percent of what a film or TV production spends in the country, plus an extra 20 percent for hiring local crew. The programme runs from 2025 to 2027 and is open to local and foreign producers, which makes it one of the clearest ways the country earns from its creative talent.
For local production companies, it means bigger jobs can be financed at home. For foreign producers, it is a reason to put Trinidad and Tobago on the shortlist.
Who runs it
The rebate is managed by the Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission, which used to be the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (FilmTT). It now sits inside Global Trinidad and Tobago (GlobalTT), the state agency for exports and investment.
Besides the rebate, the commission promotes the country as a filming location. It keeps a database of locations, helps with permits and supports local film festivals.
How much you can get back
The official criteria set different rates for local and foreign producers. All payments are at the commission's discretion.
| Producer | Budget (US$) | Cash back on qualifying spend | Extra for local labour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional or international | 100,000 to 499,999 | 12.5% | 20% |
| Regional or international | 500,000 to 999,999 | 15% | 20% |
| Regional or international | 1,000,000 to 8,000,000 | 35% | 20% |
| Local | 15,000 to 8,000,000 | 35% | 20% |
Local producers get the top rate at every budget size. That is a deliberate choice to grow home-grown companies.
"Local labour" means people hired directly, such as camera operators, sound technicians and wardrobe assistants. Companies hired for a service, like caterers or equipment rental firms, do not count towards the labour bonus.
The main rules
To qualify, a production has to meet a few thresholds:
- Spend at least TT$100,000 in Trinidad and Tobago if you are a local producer, or US$100,000 if you are foreign.
- Film at least half of the main shoot locally if you are a local producer, or at least two weeks if you are foreign.
- Apply through a production company incorporated in Trinidad and Tobago.
There is no limit on total budget, but the rebate covers at most US$8 million of spending per financial year.
How the process works
Timing matters, and missing a step can cost you the rebate.
- Apply for a provisional certificate before filming starts. This confirms your project is eligible.
- Start the main shoot within six months of getting that certificate.
- After the production is publicly released, submit your final application within six months, with an auditor's report.
- The commission aims to approve payment within four months of receiving a complete final application.
In practice, that means a producer may wait a year or more between spending money and getting the rebate. Budget for that gap.
What the rebate doesn't cover
The programme is built for films and TV. Most local creative work, such as social media ads, music videos and branded content, falls well below the spending minimum.
That work still earns foreign exchange when it is sold abroad. It just does not get state support in the same way. Carnival music and its rights are a separate story, covered in our post on carnival music and collecting societies.
What we still don't know
GlobalTT's film page shows a section for international filming statistics over the last five years, but the figures did not load when we checked, so we could not confirm them. There is no public count yet of how many rebates have been paid or how much money has gone out under the 2025–2027 programme. Without those numbers, it is hard to judge whether the rebate is working.
What to do next
If you are a producer planning a shoot for 2027, apply for your provisional certificate early, since the current criteria only cover 2025 to 2027. Keep clean records of every local hire and payment from day one, because the final claim needs an audit.
Watch for GlobalTT to publish rebate figures, and for any announcement on whether the programme will be renewed after 2027.