Global Trade Alert

 On 1 April 2014, the New Zealand government increased its subsidies for film-making in the country. The general cash grant was increased from 15 to 20% of the production costs incurred in New Zealand ("Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure").
Also, an additional 5% uplift was introduced for those "productions that can demonstrate significant economic benefits to New Zealand". In order to be eligible for the additional 5%, the New Zealand Film Commission ought to perform a test checking:

• "the amount of past expenditure or expenditure on current production
• New Zealand production activity
• use of New Zealand personnel
• wider economic benefits"

In order to qualify for the cash grant, foreign productions need to spend at least 15 million NZD in the case of films and 4 million in the case of tv series.
Furthermore, the new version of the scheme does not included additional grants for productions over 200 million NZD.
Meanwhile, for New Zealand TV productions, the grant was increased from 20 to 40%.