About Bay Film Studios
Tax Incentives

“The best of BC”
Over recent decades, a mature media production industry has grown in Canada, fed in large part by American production companies that took up the incentives of supportive film commissions and generous tax benefits.  Major media centers grew in and around Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.  With the help of outstanding provincial support and its proximity to Los Angeles, Vancouver became Canada’s production leader, earning the nickname “Hollywood North.” Now, the production industry in British Columbia is well established, and the combination of a diverse and readily available talent pool and financial subsidies from national and provincial governments make BC a well recognized and attractive location for filmmaking.  Recent legislation providing an additional 18% production labor benefit for production outside of Region One (the greater Vancouver metropolitan area) will offer a strong incentive for producers to set their projects in outlying areas.
 

  Of the areas outside Region One, Vancouver Island affords perhaps the best mix of landscape, including urban zones, small towns, picturesque locations, and a wide variety of striking scenery.  Vancouver Island productions have ready access to the Vancouver-based talent pool, while benefiting from the lower cost of a less urban environment, greater ease of production, and the significant increase in available subsidies.   Maple Bay Film Studios will be the largest, most comprehensive film and video production facility on Vancouver Island, positioning it to capture most of the production business on the Island. TAX CREDITS ·  

Foreign and Domestic productions in British Columbia can access a variety of provincial and federal tax credit programs and if eligibility requirements are met, a producer can combine them to access exceptional savings.

TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE TO FOREIGN FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS

British Columbia Tax Credits
The British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC) encourages film, television and animation production in BC and can be accessed by a broad range of foreign productions.

There are three components:
1. The basic PSTC tax credit is 11% of accredited qualified BC labour expenditures.
2. The new REGIONAL tax credit is 6% of accredited qualified BC labour expenditures.
3. The new DIGITAL ANIMATION or VISUAL EFFECTS tax credit is 15% of accredited qualified BC labour expenditures.

For more information for British Columbia's process, eligibility and time lines contact the program administrator:

British Columbia Film: (604) 736-7997 email: bcf@bcfilm.bc.ca

Canadian Federal Tax Credit
The Canadian Federal Government's Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC) is primarily for foreign production and has been increased to 16% of Canadian labour costs from 11%.

For more information on Canadian federal tax credit contact:
(CAVCO) Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office: (888) 433-2200 or (613) 946-7600  www.pch.gc.ca/cavco

For more detailed information on Foreign and Domestic Tax Credit programs please click on links on right or download pdf's here.
Download:
       > domestic tax credits
       > foreign tax credits