Owner/Writers

Writers may not make contributions on their own behalf. A Signatory Company may employ its owner/writer to perform covered writing services and that Company is required to make contributions on the writer's behalf if certain conditions are met. A writer may also not make contributions on behalf of a spouse, parent, spouse's parent, sibling or lineal descendant unless the certain conditions are met.

If you are a writer who owns 10% or more of the production company that signed the collective bargaining agreement, you may make contributions on your own behalf (or your spouse, parent, spouse's parent, sibling or lineal descendant) or if you are an Officer, Board Member, Director (or serves in another similar capacity of such non-profit), only if the following criteria are met: you must have unrelated third party financing funding the project, you must have an agreement with your third party financier, you must have a budget with an amount allocated for writing services which must not be below guild minimum, and your signatory company must own the project up to a certain date or event (please contact Employer Compliance for more information on this point). If you do not have the above three requirements, you may still make contributions if other conditions are met.

Owner/Writer rules can be very complex. Please don't guess that you are doing it right. We're here to help. Don't risk your contributions being rejected. Call us first.

For further information on Owner/Writers, please contact the Employer Compliance Department of the Trusts. You may click on this link to review the rules of the Trusts regarding owner/writers.