FIBC | Film Incentive BC

Film Incentive BC (FIBC) is a refundable labour based incentive for Canadian productions.

When filing tax returns, your corporation may claim a specified percentage of the labour costs incurred while 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 Creative BC to receive an eligibility and completion certificate for your production. In order to claim FIBC tax credits, your production corporation must file a corporate income tax return, along with the certificates, with the Canada Revenue Agency.

FIBC is a labour based tax credit available to Canadian owned and controlled production corporations that have a permanent establishment in British Columbia.

FIBC provides refundable tax credits to Canadian controlled production companies based on eligible BC labour costs. This tax credit is designed to encourage film, television, digital animation, and visual effects production in B.C.

The program includes six initiatives: Basic, Regional, Distant Location Regional, Training, Digital Animation, Visual Effects and Post-Production (DAVE) and Scriptwriting. 

NEW Important message for FIBC applicants: Tax Credit Rate Increase in 2025

 

On March 4, 2025, the Ministry of Finance announced the following updates, subject to approval of budget legislation:

• Increase the FIBC basic tax credit from 35% to 40% for productions that start principal photography on or after January 1, 2025
• Restore the regional and distant location tax credits for animation productions that start principal photography (key animation) on or after January 1, 2025 for production companies with a physical office in a regional or distant location. Under new rules, animation productions with a “physical office” located in prescribed regional or distant locations may be eligible for these supplemental tax credits provided that the labour expenditures claimed are for workers who are physically present and working in those offices at least 50% of the time.

See the BC Budget 2025, Budget and Fiscal Plan 2025/26 – 2027/28

FOR LIVE ACTION PRODUCTIONS:
New as of March 4, 2025

* Proposed NEW rate. For productions with a principal photography start date after September 30, 2016 and before January 1, 2025, the Basic FIBC rate is 35%.

For productions with a principal photography start date before October 1, 2016, please contact Creative BC for more information.

For scriptwriting Expenditures Incurred after February 20, 2018.

FOR ANIMATED PRODUCTIONS:
New as of March 4, 2025

* Proposed NEW rate. For productions with a principal photography (key animation) start date after September 30, 2016 and before January 1, 2025, the Basic FIBC rate is 35%.

** For productions with a principal photography (key animation) start date after December 31, 2024 (subject to proposed eligibility requirements). Productions with a principal photography (key animation) start date after June 26, 2015, and before June 1, 2024 could be eligible for Regional Tax Credit and Distant Location Tax Credit. Productions with a principal photography (key animation) start date on or after June 1, 2024 and before January 1, 2025 are not eligible for Regional and Distant Location bonuses. 

For productions with a principal photography (key animation) start date before October 1, 2016, please contact Creative BC for more information.

For scriptwriting expenditures incurred after February 20, 2018.

For an eligibility certificate, we strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible in the pre-production or production stage and no later than 12 months from the corporation’s taxation year in which principal photography began.

For completion certificates, we strongly recommend that production companies submit completion certificate applications at least 6 months before the filing deadline to avoid a risk of losing tax credits. Read more here.