The four main tax shelter companies in Belgium collected a combined total of around €146.4 million last year for investment in the film, performing arts and video games sectors, among others.
As in previous years, the audiovisual sector raised the most funds, according to data from BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, uFund, Taxshelter.be and Beside Tax Shelter.
Thanks to the tax shelter system, companies investing in the culture sector can benefit from tax exemptions, and there are a number of intermediaries in the market who collect funds.
Investments in film and the performing arts have long been possible. The video games sector has been added since early 2023, but its share of the money collected is still very limited.
BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, the market leader, has raised a total of €45.2 million. Of this amount, 68% went to audiovisual productions, 27% to the performing arts and 5% to four video game productions, representing a total of almost 150 projects.
UFund raised some €39.7 million last year, of which more than 87% went to 69 projects focused on audiovisual productions and almost 13% was invested in 104 projects in the performing arts .
Together with its partner ING Belgium, Taxshelter.be raised funds to the sum of €34 million, divided among 270 projects. Most of the money, 65%, went to the audiovisual sector (155 projects), with the remainder going to 106 theatrical productions (26.6% of the funds) and nine video game productions (8.42%).
Finally, Beside Tax Shelter raised €27.5 million, of which around 23%, - €6.5 million - went to some 70 stage projects and the remaining €21 million to 60 audiovisual projects.
As with uFund, no money was spent on video game development.
