Two organisations created as part of broader push to simplify tax incentive schemes
Italy is set to overhaul its TV and film incentive schemes amid a push to attract more international productions.
Reforms to the governance of the country’s media sector were nodded through without any opposition at Italy’s Senate earlier this week and will see the creation of two new bodies, which will gain power from 2028.
The National Centre for Cinema and Audiovisual Arts will oversee operations including studio Cinecittà and the Experimental Centre of Cinematography, while the Agency for Cinema and Audiovisual Arts will take on the remit currently held by the Director General for Cinema and Audiovisual, although the government-backed office will retain oversight of strategy and political direction.
The creation of the two bodies comes alongside a restructuring of Italy’s tax incentive scheme.
Details of reforms have not yet been revealed, but the legislation allows the government to pass new laws that will set out changes. Among measures expected will be a push to clarify and simplify the administration procedure for companies seeking tax credits, with a focus on enticing more international productions.
Shooting permit applications and rules around co-production are also expected to be simplified.
At present, Italy offers a 40% tax credit on eligible TV productions, with a minimum qualifying spend of €250,000 required for foreign productions and an annual cap of €20m per company per year.
The move comes amid increasing competition from countries looking to entice international productions, with the US poised to introduce a raft of measures aimed at retaining and returning shows to bolster its domestic industry.
It also comes just two weeks after TV and film production spend in Italy was found to have fallen to a seven-year low, according to the figures revealed by local producers’ association the APA.
Spend from cinema, TV and video-on-demand (VoD) services fell 7.4% in 2025 compared to the previous year to stand at €2bn (£1.67bn).
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