Co-Production · United Kingdom

United Kingdom × Hungary.

How to structure a United Kingdom–Hungary film or TV co-production: stack Hungary's 30–37.5% cash rebate with United Kingdom's incentives (25% (higher for independent film)). Worked $10M example, location strategy and a calculator.

Structuring a United Kingdom–Hungary co-production

The UK brings English-language prestige, world-class post and VFX, and a stable incentive. A UK–Hungary structure lets you keep heads-of-department and post in Britain while building and shooting into Hungary's cheaper, incentivized floor.

The incentive stack

The UK's Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) delivers roughly 25% net on qualifying spend, with an enhanced Independent Film Tax Credit worth substantially more for qualifying lower-budget features, and an extra uplift for UK VFX. Combined with Hungary's 37.5%, you get British craft and Hungarian value on one picture.

Worked example — a $10M budget

LegSpendRateReturn
Hungary (60%)$6,000,00037.5%$2,250,000
United Kingdom (40%)$4,000,00025%$1,000,000
Combined$10,000,00032.5% eff.$3,250,000

Indicative only. Real numbers depend on the qualifying-spend split, treaty status and points tests in each territory. Bonuses and top-ups (e.g. Telefilm, regional funds, labor uplifts) can raise the United Kingdom figure further.

Locations: who shoots what

London and the Home Counties handle contemporary British and period-London exteriors; Hungary carries the large builds, crowd work and anything that needs to double for continental Europe at a fraction of UK stage cost.

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 United Kingdom partner and its funding bodies so the two incentives are additive rather than in conflict. And we can arrange to finance the Hungarian rebate upfront. Model this structure in the calculator →

Frequently asked

Questions producers ask us

How does a United Kingdom–Hungary co-production work?
Qualifying spend earns an incentive in each territory: Hungary's 30–37.5% cash rebate on the Hungarian leg, and United Kingdom's incentives (25% (higher for independent film)) on the United Kingdom leg. A treaty or qualifying structure lets both apply to one picture.
What is the combined return on a United Kingdom–Hungary structure?
On a $10M budget split 60% Hungary / 40% United Kingdom, the indicative blended return is around 32.5% of total budget, before any United Kingdom bonuses or top-ups.
Can Dopamine finance the Hungarian rebate upfront?
Yes — Dopamine Ventures Kft. is one of very few partners able to arrange upfront financing of the Hungarian rebate, so it funds the production rather than arriving after wrap.
Next step

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 Rebate