Incentive Calculator

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Refundable tax creditSource: Creative BC· Last verified 2026-06-07
Your budget
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CA$
CA$
CA$
CA$
CA$
CA$
Production details
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Estimated incentive
Researched
CA$0
0% of total budget · 0% of qualified spend
Below British Columbia (Canada)'s minimum qualified spend — no credit earned yet.
Total budget
CA$1,200,000
Qualified spend
CA$800,000
Base credit
CA$288,000
Uplift
CA$128,000
Line-by-line — why each number is what it is
Director · CA$150,000CA$54,000
36% of accredited BC labour · 36% on CA$150,000
Lead cast · CA$250,000CA$90,000
36% of accredited BC labour · 36% on CA$250,000
Local crew · CA$400,000CA$144,000
36% of accredited BC labour · 36% on CA$400,000
Camera & grip rental · CA$180,000—
Does not match this program's qualifying-spend definition.
Locations & stage · CA$120,000—
Does not match this program's qualifying-spend definition.
Post (out of state) · CA$100,000—
Does not match this program's qualifying-spend definition.
Uplifts & bonuses
Federal PSTC+CA$128,000
Applied +16% on CA$800,000 of qualifying spend.
Regional upliftNot applied
Not applied — condition not met. +6% of BC labour for productions filming >50% outside the designated Vancouver area.
Distant-location upliftNot applied
Not applied — condition not met. +6% of BC labour for at least one day in a distant location.
DAVE (digital animation / VFX / post) upliftNot applied
Not applied — condition not met. +16% of labour attributable to qualifying digital animation, VFX and post.
From credit to cash

A refundable credit pays out in cash even if you owe no state tax: you file, the state applies the credit to any liability, and refunds the rest. Timing depends on the audit and filing cycle.

Gross creditCA$0
Refunded as cash (above liability)CA$0

Typical timing: ~4 months after audit/filing.

  • • Rates apply to accredited qualified BC LABOUR only — non-labour spend (equipment, locations, vendors) does not earn PSTC.
  • • Requires an accredited production with a BC permanent establishment; news/talk/sports/reality/advertising are excluded.
  • • Minimum qualified spend of CA$1,000,000 not met (CA$800,000 qualified). No credit is earned until the threshold is reached.
Every figure is traceable to a named rule above.
This incentive is your first money in.

Drop it into a capital stack and see how the rest of the raise — equity, pre-sales, gap — fits, and how investors get paid back.

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This is an estimate, not advice.

Every number here is an estimate generated from published program rules and your inputs. Programs change with each legislative session, and qualification depends on details a calculator can't see. This is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Before you make a financing decision, confirm everything with the state film office and a qualified CPA and entertainment attorney.