Dallas Film Incentive 2026 — Texas State Program Guide for DFW

Dallas–Fort Worth does not currently operate a city-level film production incentive program. Productions filming in DFW access the Texas state TMIIIP program only — a 25% base rebate on qualifying Texas spend, with all standard bonus uplifts available.

What DFW Productions Actually Get

Without a city program, the DFW incentive stack is straightforward:

• TMIIIP base: 25% on qualifying Texas spend
• Bonus uplifts: All five 2.5% uplifts available (rural, veteran, heritage, faith-based, historic sites)
• City incentive: none

For many productions, this is still highly competitive. A DFW production with $3M qualifying Texas spend earns $750,000 at the base rate — without navigating a city application process.

DFW's Actual Production Advantages

DFW's value proposition isn't the incentive stack — it's the production infrastructure:

Commercial production: DFW leads Texas (and rivals Chicago) for commercial and corporate video production volume. The concentration of Fortune 500 corporate headquarters drives steady, large-budget commercial production.

Cost structure: DFW stage rental and crew day rates run meaningfully below Austin and Los Angeles. The city's sprawl means location variety without travel costs.

Crew base: DFW maintains a large IATSE-represented crew base with depth in commercials, corporate, and broadcast.

UEDA Consideration

Like Austin, Dallas sits within the UEDA urban boundary. Filming primarily within 30 miles of Dallas city center does not qualify for the UEDA 2.5% bonus. Productions spreading to locations beyond 30 miles from both Dallas and Austin city centers can access the UEDA uplift.

Will Dallas Launch a City Program?

The Dallas Office of Arts and Culture has studied city incentive programs. No program is currently active. Check with the Dallas Film Commission for current status.