Puerto Rico issues first games tax relief

A San Juan-based developer has become the first company to receive video games tax credits in Puerto Rico.

The production incentive was issued by the Puerto Rico Film Commission, and offers 40 tax credit on staff salaries and equipment purchased from local vendors, according to GamesIndustry.

The studio that received this relief was Space Rhino Games for its current project Breach TD, a title that mixes tower defense, MOBA and RTS elements.

"We believe in video games as the next frontier for economic growth in the entertainment industry," a PRFC representative said. "The same unrivalled film incentive that applies exactly to video games has proven to be a massive hit in the film and television industry.

"We do believe that once word gets out of the video game incentive and we receive testament of developers that have benefited from this incentive, we will start seeing more developers and publishers expanding to Puerto Rico."

Studios can apply for the tax relief providing their projects cost more than $100,000.