Ireland × Hungary.
How to structure a Ireland–Hungary film or TV co-production: stack Hungary's 30–37.5% cash rebate with Ireland's 32% Section 481 (up to 40% for qualifying lower-budget features, plus a regional uplift). Worked $10M example, location strategy and a calculator.
Structuring a Ireland–Hungary co-production
Ireland's Section 481 is one of Europe's most bankable credits, and Ireland is a treaty-friendly, English-language partner. Hungary supplies the cheaper stage floor; Ireland supplies the credit, the Atlantic exteriors and the English-language cast base.
The incentive stack
Section 481 is a 32% credit on eligible Irish expenditure, with a regional uplift for production outside Dublin and Cork and an enhanced rate of up to 40% for qualifying lower-budget features. It is a corporation-tax credit paid as cash, and the Revenue process is well understood by lenders.
Worked example — a $10M budget
| Leg | Spend | Rate | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary (60%) | $6,000,000 | 37.5% | $2,250,000 |
| Ireland (40%) | $4,000,000 | 32% | $1,280,000 |
| Combined | $10,000,000 | 35.3% eff. | $3,530,000 |
Indicative only. Real numbers depend on the qualifying-spend split, treaty status, caps and points tests in each territory. Regional uplifts and top-ups can raise the Ireland figure further.
Locations: who shoots what
Wicklow, Kerry and the west coast handle Atlantic and fantasy exteriors; Ardmore and Troy Studios take Irish stage work while Hungary carries the large builds and Continental doubling.
How Dopamine runs it
As your Hungarian partner — Dopamine Ventures Kft. is a registered Hungarian company — we structure the Hungarian leg to 37.5%, run the cultural test, and coordinate with your Ireland partner and its funding bodies so the two incentives are additive rather than in conflict. Through partner lenders and banks we can also arrange to monetize the Hungarian rebate upfront. Model this structure in the calculator →
Questions producers ask us
How does a Ireland–Hungary co-production work?
What is the combined return on a Ireland–Hungary structure?
Can Dopamine monetize the Hungarian rebate upfront?
Who do I contact about a Ireland co-production?
Related insights
Bring your production to Hungary.
Tell us the budget and territory. We'll model the rebate and plan the floor — and we can arrange to monetize the rebate upfront.
Model Your RebateDopamine Ventures Kft. · Hungary / Europe: +36 30 285 5517 · WhatsApp: +1 310-651-0799