Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit (OFTTC)

The OFTTC is a refundable tax credit based upon eligible Ontario labour expenditures incurred by a qualifying production company with respect to an eligible Ontario production. The OFTTC is generally “harmonized” with the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

Grant Deadline

Deadline not available

Funding Amount

35% of The OFTTC is generally calculated as 35% of the eligible Ontario labour expenditures incurred by a qualifying production company with respect to an eligible Ontario production. An enhanced credit rate of 40% on the first $240,000 of qualifying labour expenditure is available for first-time producers. An enhanced credit rate of 40% on the first $240,000 of qualifying Ontario labour, to a maximum of $12,000, is available for first-time productions.

Type of Grant

Tax Credit

Sectors

Film, Media

Demographics

Incorporation

For Profit

Perks

Region Restriction

This grant is restricted to whole of Canada

Keywords

tax credit, production, Film project, refundable credit, expenditures incurred, Media/Arts

Age Restriction

This grant is age restricted from 18 to 100

Eligibility and Requirements

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

A qualifying production company is a Canadian corporation which is Canadian-controlled, has a permanent establishment in Ontario, and files an Ontario corporate tax return. In addition, the individual producer of the production must have been an Ontario resident for tax purposes at the end of both of the two calendar years prior to commencement of principal photography.


WHAT IS AN ELIGIBLE PRODUCTION?

An eligible Ontario production is a production which:

Additional Rules for alternative means productions (over and above the general eligibility requirements):

OFTTC production made available by alternative means are subject to additional eligibility rules:

Production budget requirements:

Content exclusions:

In addition to types of productions that are excluded from OFTTC eligibility regardless of exhibition method, productions made available by alternative means are also excluded if they are:

New Screen Credit Requirement For All Productions with Principal Photography After August 24, 2023:

Productions that begin principal photography after August 24, 2023 are required to include an acknowledgement of Ontario tax credit support in the production’s end credits. For a series, the acknowledgement is required in the end credits of each episode for which the tax credit is claimed.

The following elements must be included:

Image files containing the Province of Ontario logo and the Ontario Creates logo combined in a manner that meets Ontario’s visual identity rules can be accessed on Ontario Creates website at: https://www.ontariocreates.ca/about-us/ontario-creates-logo. If you have difficulty accessing these files or have any questions regarding proper use, please contact: communications@ontariocreates.ca.


WHAT EXPENDITURES ARE ELIGIBLE?

Eligible Ontario labour expenditures consist of:

  1. Salaries and wages paid to Ontario residents;
  2. Remuneration paid to:
  3. corporations that are personal service companies subject to tax in Ontario for the services of an Ontario resident,
  4. sole proprietors or freelancers subject to tax in Ontario
  5. partnerships, for the services of a partner subject to tax in Ontario, and
  6. taxable Canadian corporations with a permanent establishment in Ontario for the services of their employee(s) who are Ontario residents; and
  7. Reimbursements by a wholly-owned production company to its parent company for labour expenditures, as above, that were paid by the parent company on behalf of the production company.

Ontario residents are individuals who were resident in Ontario for tax purposes at the end of the calendar year prior to commencement of principal photography. The labour expenditures of a corporation for the purposes of the OFTTC must be reasonable and must be included in the cost of the production.

Labour expenditures must not only be incurred but must also be paid in the taxation year (or within 60 days after the end of the taxation year) for which they are being claimed.

Eligible labour expenditures include those incurred from the production commencement time (PCT) until the end of post-production. Productions can claim eligible labour expenditures as early as two years prior to the commencement of principal photography. This may include labour expenditures for script development.

Grant Application website

https://ontariocreates.ca/tax-incentives/ofttc

Contact

CONTACT