How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 35% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Who are the financial supporters of the British Columbia film and television tax credit?

British Columbia film and television tax credit is funded by BC Ministry of Finance, Government of British Columbia

What are British Columbia film and television tax credit's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must be an eligible corporation producing eligible film or video productions in British Columbia. Productions must meet Canadian content requirements.

British Columbia film and television tax credit

Last Update: April 27, 2025

BC, Canada

Tax credits for eligible film and television productions in BC

British Columbia film and television tax credit at a glance

Eligible Funding

Up to 35% of project cost

Timeline

Continuous Intakes

Financing Type

Tax Credits

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries
Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grant Providers

BC Ministry of Finance
Government of British Columbia

Status

Open

Overview of the British Columbia film and television tax credit program

The British Columbia Film and Television Tax Credit provides refundable tax credits of up to 40% of qualified B.C. labour expenditures for eligible domestic film and video productions with significant Canadian content. The program supports a range of activities, including principal photography, animation, post-production, and scriptwriting, to stimulate film and television production within the province.

Financing terms and conditions

Basic tax credit of 35% of qualified B.C. labour expenditure (proposed increase to 40% for productions starting principal photography on or after January 1, 2025, pending legislative approval).
Regional tax credit rate of 12.5% of qualified B.C. labour expenditure.
Distant location regional tax credit of 6% of qualified B.C. labour expenditure.
Film training tax credit of 30% of payments to trainees or 3% of qualifying B.C. labour expenditures, whichever is less.
Digital animation, visual effects and post-production tax credit (DAVE) of 16% of qualified B.C. labour expenditure.
Scriptwriting tax credit of 35% of qualified scriptwriting expenditure.

Eligible projects & activities

Production of eligible film or video productions in British Columbia with qualifying Canadian content.
Animation productions undertaken in a physical office located in regional or distant locations in B.C.
Digital animation, visual effects, and post-production undertaken as part of film or video projects.
Training initiatives related to film and television production for B.C.-based trainees.
Scriptwriting for eligible film or video projects produced in British Columbia.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 42,000

Modernizing a bakery with new eco-friendly equipment for production

$ 46,500

Launching a digital skills bootcamp for Indigenous youth in tech

$ 48,750

Enhancing recycling capacity in a cooperative through new sorting lines

$ 53,000

Building a solar-powered cold storage for a community farm coop

$ 43,800

Retrofit of historic theatre to improve energy efficiency and comfort

$ 41,000

Developing accessible mobile app for mental health support services

Eligibility criteria of the British Columbia film and television tax credit program

The applicant must be an eligible corporation producing film or video productions in British Columbia.
The production must be a domestic project with qualifying levels of Canadian content.
The corporation must apply for and receive a certificate (eligibility or completion) from Creative BC.
For regional and distant location tax credits for animation productions, principal photography must begin on or after January 1, 2025, and production must take place in a physical office in a regional or distant location with B.C.-based labour.

Who is eligible?

Corporations producing eligible film or video productions in British Columbia

Who is not eligible

Corporations that do not produce eligible film or video productions in British Columbia.
Productions that do not meet the required Canadian content standards.
Animation productions that began principal photography between June 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024 (for regional and distant location tax credits).

Eligible expenses

British Columbia labour expenditures associated with eligible film or video productions.
Payments made to trainees for film training purposes.
Labour costs for B.C.-based individuals working in animation production within a physical office, where applicable.

Eligible geographic areas

British Columbia (B.C.), Canada

How to apply to the British Columbia film and television tax credit program

Step 1: Apply for an Eligibility CertificateContact Creative BC to apply for an eligibility certificate related to your film or video production.
Submit the application as early as possible during pre-production or production, and no later than 12 months from the end of the tax year when principal photography began.
Step 2: Apply for a Completion Certificate (if applicable)If your production is completed in the tax year, submit an application for a completion certificate to Creative BC.
Creative BC recommends submitting this application at least 6 months before the filing deadline.
Step 3: Obtain Certificates from Creative BCReceive the eligibility certificate (before project completion) or completion certificate (after project completion) from Creative BC.
Step 4: Complete the British Columbia Film and Television Tax Credit Form (T1196)Fill out the T1196 form for each production for which you are claiming credits.
Attach the relevant certificate (eligibility or completion) from Creative BC for each production.
Step 5: File with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)Submit the T1196 form and attached certificate(s) with your T2 Corporation Income Tax Return to the CRA.
For each production claimed, submit a separate T1196 and certificate.
Enter the total amount of credits from all productions you are claiming on line 671 on Schedule 5, Tax Calculation Supplementary – Corporations.
Step 6: Observe Filing DeadlinesEnsure the CRA receives the required forms and certificates no later than 18 months (for tax years beginning on or after February 19, 2020) or 36 months (for prior tax years) after the end of your corporation's tax year.
Use Creative BC’s FIBC Deadline Calculator to determine exact deadlines for your production.

Additional information

The tax credit is fully refundable but must first be applied against the total income tax payable by the corporation.
No carry-back or carry-forward provisions are available for unused credits.
Certificate applications may take up to 6 months to process by Creative BC.
Inspectors may visit production offices and inspect records to verify eligibility for certain credits.