EMPLOYMENT ISSUES: DGA Principal Director Presumed Salary Opt-Out

The deadline for a Principal Director to opt out of the annual presumed salary provision of the AICP Sideletter to the DGA National Commercial Agreement (“NCA”) is Tuesday, January 20, 2026. 

For Principal Directors (i.e., directors who are also production company owners), the DGA Pension and Health Plans (“DGA Plans”) contributions are based on a presumed annual salary regardless of actual earnings. The current presumed annual salary is $210,000 (as of December 1, 2025) with benefit contributions payable in 12 equal monthly installments.

Any Principal Director who anticipates that they will earn less “total gross compensation” (as defined below) than the presumed annual salary ($210,000) may, upon written notice to the DGA Plans and the Guild, opt out and instead make benefit contributions based on total gross compensation. 

IMPORTANT: Please note that the opt-out does not carry over from year-to-year. Written notice must be given each year to exercise this option.

Per the NCA Article 3-104(D): “Total gross compensation includes, but is not limited to, all salary, wages, fees (except cancellation fees [as set forth in the NCA]), profit participation, and expenses, except those expenses which are incurred solely and exclusively in connection with a specific production. Such contributions shall be made on such salaries up to a maximum of two hundred and ninety thousand dollars ($290,000) in a calendar year."

The DGA Plans gives the following example of total gross compensation: “In addition to compensation from the Principal Director’s DGA-Signatory company for DGA covered directorial services, if the Principal Director derives income from non-directorial business activities conducted by or through their DGA-Signatory company, (for example, but not as a limitation: camera or other equipment rental fees, production service fees or real estate rental fees) then “total gross compensation” for purposes of Article 3-104(D) includes all income received from such activities (for example but not as a limitation: salary, wages, fees, profit participation). Therefore, all income, profits and bonuses received from all business activities conducted by or through their DGA-Signatory company, regardless of whether such sums are related to DGA covered directorial services, are subject to contributions unless a specific exception under Article 3-104(D) applies.”

Should you wish to opt-out of the annual presumed salary basis for DGA Pension and Health Plans contributions for a Principal Director, and make contributions on total gross compensation as defined above for calendar year 2026, you must notify the Plans, Guild, and AICP as follows:

Please email your notice by Tuesday, January 20, 2026, stating your wish to opt-out of the Principal Director presumed annual salary for the 2026 calendar year. The letter should be addressed to the Plans with copies to the DGA and the AICP:

DGA-Producer Pension & Health Plans
Attn: Maggie Der-Minassian
Email: mdm@dgaplans.org 

Directors Guild of America
Attn: Bruce Anderson
Email: BruceA@dga.org 

AICP
Attn: David Michael González
Email: davidg@aicp.com 

For questions about the DGA National Commercial Agreement or AICP Sideletter, please contact David Michael González, davidg@aicp.com, and Ralph Loyola, Labor Relations Manager, ralphl@aicp.com.