Lights, camera, action: B.C. increases tax incentives for film and T.V. productions
Following the pandemic and labour disruptions, the provincial government is hoping to “solidify its competitive edge” in the industry
The B.C. government increased its Film Incentive BC and production services tax credits in the 2025 budget. (Ron Lach/Pexels)
British Columbia is rolling out new tax incentives for film and television productions.
In December, Premier David Eby announced that the province’s 2025 budget includes increases in tax credits, speaking from Martini Town Studios, a Langley Township-based movie studio.
Film Incentive BC, a tax credit that supports Canadian-content productions, has gone up from 35 per cent to 36 per cent, while the production services tax credit concerning international projects made in B.C. has increased from 28 per cent to 36 per cent for productions with principal photography, which started Jan. 1.
In an email statement to The Runner, B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey wrote that the province has “heard directly from studio executives about how these efforts will lead to significant production increases in the province.”
“With these changes, B.C. will solidify its competitive edge, ensuring that we remain a preferred choice for filmmakers from around the world and industry workers in the province will continue to secure well-paid jobs,” Bailey wrote.
The provincial government will also offer two-per-cent bonuses to B.C. projects with production costs totaling more than $200 million.
“With competitive tax credits and our amazing crews, infrastructure, and locations, we’ll continue to attract some of the biggest global productions, like The Last of Us and Shōgun,” Bailey wrote.
“Productions of this scale bring more exposure, economic growth, and job creation and builds our reputation as a jurisdiction that can support projects of all sizes.”
The province also intends to restore regional and distant location tax credits for companies that have a brick-and-mortar presence outside of the Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, as well as the Whistler and Squamish area — an action Bailey wrote will allow businesses to “thrive and bring economic activity to their communities.”
In B.C., the film industry supported more than 37,000 jobs in 2022 and about 26,000 in 2023. The industry also generated $2.7 billion in GDP in 2022 — which was about 1 per cent of B.C.’s overall GDP — and $2 billion in 2023, the province reported.
“Here in B.C., our film industry is a point of pride — it is one of the busiest production hubs in North America and our crews have a global reputation for being top-class,” Bailey wrote. “Made in B.C. productions dominated at the Emmys and Golden Globes this year, thanks in part to B.C.’s incredible talent, something we are incredibly proud of.”
Bailey added that the industry has also faced challenges in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and labour disruptions, but the government remains “committed to boosting support for our motion picture sector.”
A month before the announcement, a delegation from B.C., which included Bailey, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film Nina Krieger, and Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport Spencer Chandra Herbert, visited California to pitch the province’s film and T.V. industry and highlight it as a top location for productions.
“I was recently in Los Angeles and heard directly from studio executives about the significant production increases in B.C. that would flow from changes like these,” Chandra Herbert said in a press release.
“These changes will help us land more top-tier projects, fuel economic and job growth, and showcase everything we love about B.C. to the world.”
For more information about Film Incentive BC, visit www.bit.ly/filmincentivebc. To learn more about the production services tax credit, head to www.bit.ly/productionservicestax.
