Production Service Tax Credit (PSTC) / Providing domestic and international companies with labour based tax incentives
The PSTC is a labour based tax incentive that provides refundable tax credits to Canadian or international film and television production corporations that have incurred eligible labour costs in British Columbia. The PSTC is not subject to any Canadian content requirements. In addition, there is no limit on the PSTC that may be claimed on a particular production and there is no limit that a corporation or group of corporations can claim. The program includes four initiatives: Basic, Regional, Distant Location, and Digital Animation or Visual Effects (DAVE).
How the PSTC works
The PSTC is a refundable corporate income tax credit. When filing tax returns, your corporation may claim a specified percentage of the labour costs incurred in making a production. The credits are applied to reduce tax payable, and any remaining balance is paid to the corporation. Please note that your production corporation must apply to BC Film + Media to receive an accreditation certificate for the production. In order to claim the PSTC tax credits, your production corporation must file a corporate income tax return, along with the certificates, with the Canada Revenue Agency.
If you have any questions regarding the PSTC, please visit our FAQ or simply call one of our staff and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Before applying, please review the PSTC Information Bulletin.
Sample Tax Calcuation
To see how PSTC and its related tax credits might work for your production, please use the interactive sample tax credit calculator below. Please note that this sample is for demonstration purposes only and is not an official tax credit estimate. If you have any questions about your calculation, or if you have a unique situation, please contact one of our staff and we’ll be happy to assist you.
If you have any questions please contact one of our staff or visit our FAQ page.
