As of August 2023

This version of the guidelines includes an update to section 2.03 with respect to the maximum administration fee amount.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

•  Part 1 - Overview
  • 1.01 What is the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC)?
  • 1.02 Tax Credit Rate
  • 1.03 What Types of Corporations are Eligible?
  • 1.04 What is an Eligible Production?
  • 1.05 Qualifying Production Expenditures (QPE)
    1. Eligible Wage Expenditures
    2. Eligible Service Contract Expenditures
    3. Eligible Tangible Property Expenditures
    4. Qualifying Production Expenditure Requirements
    5. Assistance
  • 1.06 Summary of COVID-19 Extensions
  • 1.07 Is a Screen Credit Required on the Production?
• -- Part 2 - Administrative Process
  • 2.01 Ontario Creates issues Certificates of Eligibility
  • 2.02 How to Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility
  • 2.03 Tax Credit Administration Fees
    1. Calculation of the Administration Fee
    2. Other Administration Fees
    3. How to Pay
  • 2.04 How Long Does the Process Take?
  • 2.05 Amendment or Revocation of Certificates
  • 2.06 Ontario Creates Contact Information
  • 2.07 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Role
  • 2.08 Filing of a Corporate Tax Return
  • 2.09 CRA Payment of Tax Credit Refund
  • 2.10 CRA Contact Information
•  Part 3 - Required Documents
  • 3.01 What Documentation is Required?
  • 3.02 Comparison of OPSTC and Federal PSTC Tax Credits
•  Part 4 - Relevant Legislation and Regulations, and CAVCO Public Notices
  • 4.01 Ontario Production Services Tax Credit Legislation
  • 4.02 Ontario Production Services Tax Credit Regulations
  • 4.03 Federal Legislation
    1. Income Tax Act (Canada)
    2. Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit – s. 125.5
    3. Definition of Assistance – s.12(1)(x)
  • 4.04 Federal Regulation
    1. Income Tax Act Regulations
    2. Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit – s.9300
    3. Definition of Permanent Establishment – s.400(2)
  • 4.05 CAVCO Public Notices
    1. 2017-02 – Definitions for Ineligible Genres
    2. 2017-03 – Definition of Advertising

These guidelines have also been updated to achieve consistent formatting amongst the tax credits guidelines administered by Ontario Creates. A new numbering system has been implemented.

Commentaries are now indicated by sidebar line.

Part 1 - Overview

These Guidelines have been prepared to assist producers in applying for an Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC).

Please note that the OPSTC Legislation (section 92 of the Taxation Act, S.O. 2007) and OPSTC Regulation (Ontario Regulation 37/09) take precedence over any provision of these Guidelines.

This section sets out the key features of the OPSTC. For a complete list of the applicable requirements, please consult the subsequent sections of these Guidelines and the OPSTC Legislation and Regulation (links can be found in Part 4) of the OPSTC Legislation and Regulation.

As the OPSTC legislation and regulation make reference to the federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit legislation and regulation, links to the latter legislation and regulation have also been included.

1.01 What is the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC)?

The OPSTC is a refundable tax credit, which means that the amount of the credit, minus any Ontario taxes payable, will be paid to the qualifying corporation. The OPSTC is based upon the Ontario labour and other qualifying production expenditures incurred by a qualifying corporation during a taxation year with respect to an eligible film or television production.

The OPSTC is "harmonized" with the federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit jointly administered by the Canadian Audio Visual Certification Office of the Department of Canadian Heritage ("CAVCO") and the Canada Revenue Agency ("CRA"), which means that the two credits are similar in many (but not all) respects. The OPSTC may be claimed alone, or in addition to a federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit (or a Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit).

1.02 Tax Credit Rate

The OPSTC is calculated as 21.5% of the qualifying Ontario production expenditures incurred by a qualifying production company with respect to an eligible production minus assistance relating to such expenditures.

The OPSTC for an eligible production is calculated by multiplying the qualifying corporation's "qualifying production expenditure" ("QPE") for the taxation year by the credit rate of 21.5%.

A qualifying corporation's Ontario labour expenditures (including Ontario labour paid under an eligible service contract) must amount to at least 25% of the qualifying production expenditures claimed. The maximum eligible expenditures for leasing real property for on-location filming that can be claimed for a production is 5% of the production’s qualifying production expenditures, net of these location costs. However, there are no per project or annual corporate limits on the amount of the OPSTC which may be claimed.

The amount of the credit will be zero, if the qualifying corporation receives a credit for the production under Section 91 of the Taxation Act, S.O., 2007 (the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit available to Canadian-controlled corporations for productions with at least six Canadian content points).

1.03 What Types of Corporations are Eligible?

A qualifying corporation is a Canadian- or foreign-owned corporation which carries on a film or video production or production services business at a permanent establishment in Ontario, files an Ontario corporate tax return and owns the copyright in the eligible production or contracts directly with the copyright owner to provide production services to an eligible production.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

In order to be eligible for an OPSTC for a taxation year, a corporation must be a "qualifying corporation" throughout the year.

A qualifying corporation or its authorized agent may apply for an OPSTC. There may be one or more qualifying corporations in respect of an eligible production. This may be because the copyright is owned by more than one corporation or because production services are provided to the copyright owner(s) by more than one corporation. Ontario Creates may issue a Certificate of Eligibility to each qualifying corporation in respect of its qualifying expenditures.

A qualifying corporation may be a corporation incorporated under the laws of any jurisdiction (Canadian or non-Canadian) and may be controlled by Canadian or non-Canadian owners.

A "qualifying corporation" is a corporation which satisfies all of the following requirements:

1. its activities in the taxation year in Ontario are primarily the carrying on of a film or video production business or a film or video production services business;

The activities of the corporation must be primarily the production of film or television productions or the provision of film or television production services. The word "primarily" will be interpreted to mean something more than 50%.

2. its activities are carried on through a "permanent establishment" in Ontario (see Section 4.03 Federal Legislation);

A corporation may be subject to Ontario tax if it has a permanent establishment in Ontario at which it is carrying on business. A "permanent establishment" generally refers to a fixed place of business (see Part 4 - Relevant Legislation and Regulations, and CAVCO Public Notices). However, whether a fixed place of business is a "permanent establishment" is a question of fact which must be determined on a case-by-case basis. In interpreting the term "permanent establishment", the courts have considered factors such as: the degree of the corporation's control over the place of business, the degree of continuity and permanence of the place of business, and the presence of personnel and routine activities.

3. it owns the copyright in the eligible production during the period the production is produced in Ontario,
   or
   where the owner of the copyright in the eligible production is not a qualifying corporation, it is contracting directly with the owner of the copyright to provide production services;

It is important to note that where the copyright holder is a qualifying corporation, the copyright holder must claim the tax credit. A qualifying corporation contracting directly with the copyright holder may claim the OPSTC only where the copyright owner is not a qualifying corporation.

The copyright owner will be the person or which holds the rights to produce the eligible production and will hold legal ownership of the copyright in the completed production. It is not necessary to own all of the underlying elements of the production (eg the script, and characters), provided that sufficient rights to use such underlying elements to produce the production have been acquired.

Where the qualifying corporation is the copyright owner, it must hold copyright during the period it is producing the production in Ontario. However, the copyright owner may subsequently sell the copyright without affecting its OPSTC claim. Where the qualifying corporation is not the copyright owner, copyright ownership may change during the period the production is produced in Ontario without affecting the OPSTC claim, provided that at all times during this period, the qualifying corporation is contracting directly with the applicable copyright owner. In this case, the qualifying corporation will be required to provide evidence, such as a copy of the production services agreement with the new copyright owner, or a copy of the assignment of the production services agreement from the former copyright owner to the new copyright owner.

4. it is not exempt from tax, "controlled directly or indirectly in any manner" by one or more corporations that are exempt from tax, nor a labour-sponsored venture capital corporation for purposes of section 127.4 of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Corporations which are exempt from tax under Part III of the Taxation Act include non-profit or registered charitable corporations.

1.04 What is an Eligible Production?

An eligible production must exceed a minimum production cost and must not be in an excluded genre or be a production for which public financial support would be contrary to public policy. In addition, a production that receives an Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit is not eligible for an OPSTC.

The production cost must exceed $1 million (CDN), except in the case of a series consisting of two or more episodes or a pilot for such a series. In the case of a series or pilot, the cost for each episode which has a running time less than thirty minutes must exceed $100,000 (CDN) and the cost for episodes with a longer running time must exceed $200,000 (CDN).

Excluded genres are: news; current events or public affairs programming, or a program that includes weather or market reports; talk shows; productions in respect of a game, questionnaire or contest; a sports event or activity; a gala presentation or awards show; a production that solicits funds; reality television; pornography; advertising or a production produced primarily for industrial, corporate or institutional purposes.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

The OPSTC may only be claimed by a qualifying corporation in respect of an "eligible production".

An "eligible production" is a production which satisfies all of the following requirements:

1. The principal photography for the production commences before the end of the year.
2. If the production is a television series production or is a pilot episode for a television series production, the total expenditures included in the cost of each episode or, if the production is a depreciable property, in the capital cost of each episode, during the 24 months after principal photography for the production commences, exceed,
   1. $100,000 if the episode has a running time that is less than 30 minutes, or
   2. $200,000 in any other case.

An episode's "running time", for the purposes of determining which production expenditure minimum is applicable, refers to the total screen time of the production excluding commercial breaks. The "running time" of a television production will therefore usually be shorter than the time slot in which it is scheduled.

3. If the production is not the type of production referred to in paragraph 2, the total expenditures included in the cost of the production or, if the production is a depreciable property, in the capital cost of the production, during the 24 months after principal photography for the production commences, exceed $1 million.

The total expenditures included in the cost of the production during the 24 months after principal photography commences must exceed the minimum expenditures set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 above. The Province introduced a temporary amendment to allow an additional 24 months, for a total of 48 months, after principal photography commences to meet the minimum expenditure requirements. The extension applies to productions if the qualifying corporation incurred an expenditure in a taxation year ending in 2020 or 2021, which would otherwise have been an eligible wage expenditure, an eligible service contract expenditure or an eligible tangible property expenditure, if principal photography for the production had commenced in the year the expenditure was incurred.

To benefit from the extension, the corporation must file a valid, completed Waiver in Respect of the Normal Reassessment Period (Form T2029) with the CRA for the taxation year in which principal photography began, if their income tax return has been assessed for that year. The completed CRA waiver should be sent to one of three CRA tax centres (mailing addresses are available here). The corporation must also include a completed Ontario Creates Waiver Declaration & Statement of Intent to Claim COVID-19 Extensions ("Ontario Creates Waiver & COVID Statement") for that taxation year in their application for a Certificate of Eligibility. If the corporation's income tax return for the relevant taxation year has not yet been assessed, a valid form T2029 Waiver cannot be filed with the CRA for that year. However, the corporation can still obtain this extension by filing a completed Ontario Creates Waiver & COVID Statement form.

The minimum production expenditure levels apply to the whole production, rather than to the part of the production produced in Ontario. There is no requirement as to the minimum activity or production expenditure which must take place in Ontario.

4. The production is not in an excluded genre (such as news or current affairs, talk shows, game shows, sports shows, awards shows, fundraising shows, reality television, pornography, or advertising).

Talk shows have always been and continue to be ineligible for all Ontario tax credits, including the OPSTC. Talk shows are not eligible for the federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit administered by CAVCO. CAVCO issued Public Notices 2017-02 and 2017-03 on March 6, 2017:

• Public Notice 2017-02 sets out definitions for ineligible genres, and
• Public Notice 2017-03 deals with the definition of advertising.

Ontario Creates uses these definitions but we conduct our own assessment of a production's genre.

Where an applicant is unsure whether their production is in an eligible genre, they may request an advance ruling as to genre eligibility from Ontario Creates prior to applying for an OPSTC. If the production is determined by Ontario Creates to be eligible as to genre, an application for the OPSTC would then be made.

5. The production is not a production for which public financial support would be contrary to public policy.

"Productions for which public financial support would be contrary to public policy" may include productions which are capable of inciting hatred against an identifiable group, including a section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or ethnic origin and productions whose dominant characteristic is the undue exploitation of sex, violence or of sex and one or more of crime, horror, cruelty or violence.

1.05 Qualifying Production Expenditures (QPE)

Qualifying production expenditures consist of eligible wages, eligible service contracts and eligible tangible property expenditures.

The production expenditures must also be: reasonable in the circumstances, directly related to the production, must be incurred for the stages of production after the final script stage to the end of post-production. In order to be qualifying production expenditures for a corporation's taxation year, the expenditures must be incurred in the taxation year, paid in the taxation year or within 60 days after the end of the taxation year, and paid to Ontario-based individuals, companies or partnerships for services provided in Ontario. Ontario-based individuals are individuals who were resident in Ontario at the end of the calendar year before the year in which principal photography for the production commenced.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

A qualifying corporation's "qualifying production expenditure" is the amount which is multiplied by the credit rate in order to calculate the OPSTC for a taxation year. It is equal to the qualifying corporation's qualifying production expenditure for the production for the taxation year, less assistance in respect of such expenditure and less amounts reimbursed to the qualifying corporation by a subsidiary for which the subsidiary can claim a tax credit.

Productions cannot claim the OPSTC until the taxation year in which principal photography begins. The Province has introduced a temporary amendment to allow companies to claim otherwise eligible expenditures incurred in the two taxation years prior to the year in which principal photography begins.

To qualify for this amendment, the production must have:

1. incurred an expenditure in taxation years ending in 2020 or 2021;
2. the expenditure would have been an eligible wage expenditure, an eligible service contract expenditure or an eligible tangible property expenditure if principal photography for the production had commenced in the year the expenditure was incurred; and
3. principal photography on the production commenced on or after March 15, 2020.

The qualifying corporation is not required to file a CRA waiver to benefit from this amendment. However, the corporation must indicate that they are requesting this amendment by submitting a completed Ontario Creates Waiver & COVID Statement with their OPSTC application.

A qualifying corporation's "qualifying production expenditure" for a taxation year is calculated by taking:

1. the corporation's eligible wage expenditure for the year or previous taxation year,
2. the corporation's eligible service contract expenditure for the year or previous taxation year,
3. the amount determined under subsection (5.5) for the year or a previous taxation year (this refers to parent-subsidiary amounts, as set out below), and
4. the corporation's eligible tangible property expenditure for the year or a previous taxation year,

and deducting all relevant government and non-government assistance in respect of the production.

As noted above, a corporation's "qualifying production expenditure" may consist of the following types of amounts to the extent that they meet the requirements set out in D. Qualifying Production Expenditure Requirements (QPE) below:

1. Eligible wage expenditures paid to employees of the qualifying corporation,
2. Eligible service contract expenditures paid by the qualifying corporation to persons or partnerships that carry on business through a permanent establishment in Ontario,
3. Eligible tangible property expenditures paid by the qualifying corporation to a person or partnership that is ordinarily engaged in the business of selling or leasing tangible property of the type of tangible property acquired or leased by the corporation, 
4. In the case of eligible tangible property expenditures incurred after November 14, 2022, in respect of real property leased by the qualifying corporation from a person or partnership not ordinarily engaged in the business of leasing the type of real property in question, the expenditures must be paid to a person or partnership that deals at arm’s length with the qualifying corporation; and
5. Reimbursements made by a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation to its parent corporation for an expenditure made by the parent which would be an eligible wage expenditure or eligible service contract expenditure of the subsidiary corporation if it had been made by them for the same purpose as the parent.

A. Eligible Wage Expenditures

"Eligible wage expenditures" are the salaries and wages paid in the year or within 60 days after the end of the year to the corporation's employees who were Ontario-based individuals.

As previously noted, a qualifying corporation's eligible wage expenditures include the salaries and wages paid to employees provided that they were also Ontario-based individuals.

"Salary and wages" refers to income of a taxpayer from an office or employment as computed under subdivision a. of Division B of Part I of the Income Tax Act (Canada) but does not include an amount described in section 7 of the Act or an amount determined by reference to profits or revenues.

Eligible wage expenditures include union and guild fringes that are taxable benefits to Ontario-based employees. Non-taxable benefits are not eligible wage expenditures.

B. Eligible Service Contract Expenditures

An "eligible service contract expenditure" consists of the cost of a contract for services that is paid to a person or partnership that carries on a business in Ontario through a permanent establishment and that are:

1. Ontario-based individuals who are not employees (eg a freelancer) for both their own labour and for the salaries and wages of their Ontario-based employees;
2. Taxable Canadian corporations for the salaries and wages of their Ontario-based employees, provided the services are rendered in Ontario;
3. Taxable Canadian corporations for which all the issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock (except directors' qualifying shares) belong to an Ontario-based individual and which principally provides that individual's services, for amounts attributable to services rendered by that individual in Ontario; and
4. Partnerships for services rendered in Ontario by an Ontario-based partner and for the salaries and wages of the partnership's Ontario-based employees.

At least 25% of the qualifying production expenditures claimed must relate to salaries and wages, and remuneration paid to Ontario based individuals for services rendered in Ontario. This is referred to as the qualifying production expenditure (QPE) limit. The legislation was amended on March 25, 2020 to include all payments made by the production company under an eligible service contract, as described in paragraphs a. to d. above, in the calculation of the QPE limit. Previously the calculation of the QPE limit was based only on expenditures relating to salaries and wages, and reimbursements for Ontario labour expenditures paid by the production company to its parent company. Payments to freelance contractors who were not employees were excluded from the calculation. These changes are retroactive to the introduction of the QPE limit in 2015.

In addition, expenditures incurred by a corporation pursuant to an eligible service contract with a non-arm's length party will be limited to amounts that would have been eligible for the credit if the non-arm's length party had been a qualifying corporation and had incurred the expenditures directly.

Eligible service contract amounts paid to parties other than employees are qualifying expenditures only to the extent that they are paid directly to the contract service provider for services personally rendered by such parties or for the salaries and wages of their employees. Any amounts paid by the production company to unions or guilds on behalf of the service contract provider are not eligible service contract expenditures.

Eligible service contract expenditures include payments to a trade union representing Ontario provincial or Ontario municipal police for on-set security services. The following expenditures are not eligible service contract expenditures:

• airfares and other costs for travel outside of Ontario;
• meals and entertainment, other than food and non-alcoholic beverages for on set catering and craft services;
• alcoholic beverages;
• hotel and living expenses.

C. Eligible Tangible Property Expenditures

A corporation's "eligible tangible property expenditure" includes amounts incurred for the acquisition or rental in Ontario of tangible property used in the eligible production. Such expenditures must satisfy the following conditions:

• The property is used in Ontario in a manner that is directly attributable to the eligible production.
• The expenditure is paid to a person or partnership that carries on a business in Ontario through a permanent establishment and that is
  • an Ontario-based individual at the time the amount is paid and who is not an employee of the qualifying corporation, or
  • a taxable Canadian corporation or partnership (whose members are not employees of the qualifying corporation), 
  • that is ordinarily engaged in the business of selling or leasing tangible property of the type of tangible property acquired or leased by the corporation, and
  • in the case of expenditures incurred after November 14, 2022, in respect of real property leased by the qualifying corporation from a person or partnership not ordinarily engaged in the business of leasing the type of real property in question, the expenditures must be paid to a person or partnership that deals at arm’s length with the qualifying corporation, in the case of an individual who is not an employee of the qualifying corporation, and in the case of a partnership whose members are not employees of the qualifying corporation.

The maximum eligible expenditures for leasing real property for on-location filming that can be claimed for a production is 5% of the production’s qualifying production expenditures, net of these location costs.

"Tangible property" is defined as property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt or touched or that is in any way perceptible to the senses. Eligible tangible property expenditures include but are not limited to equipment, studio rentals and computer software. Such items as insurance, financing, completion bond and banking costs, and the cost of story rights are not qualifying tangible property expenditures.

D. Qualifying Production Expenditure Requirements

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

In order to qualify as a "qualifying production expenditure" for an eligible production for a taxation year of a qualifying corporation, an amount must be:

1. reasonable in the circumstances;
2. directly attributable to the production;
3. incurred in the corporation's taxation year or its previous taxation year;
4. incurred for the stages of production after the final script stage to the end of the post-production stage;
5. paid in the taxation year or within 60 days after the end of the year;
6. paid to "Ontario-based individuals" (see below); and
7. for services rendered in Ontario.

Qualifying production expenditure does not include amounts determined by reference to profits or revenues from the production or amounts referred to in section 37 of the Income Tax Act (Canada). For greater certainty, the amount of a corporation's Ontario production expenditure is zero if the corporation is not a qualifying corporation.

"Ontario-based individuals" are individuals who were resident in Ontario at the end of the calendar year immediately before the calendar year in which principal photography for the production commences and thereby subject to Ontario personal income tax for the preceding year (under section 2 of the Income Tax Act (Ontario)).

A qualifying corporation's Ontario production expenditure may only include amounts after the final script stage to the end of the post production stage. Eligible wage and service contract expenditures are for services rendered in Ontario after the final script stage to the end of post-production. Eligible tangible property expenditures are for properties used in Ontario during such period. Therefore, expenditures relating to the development of the production are excluded. There are no restrictions on the categories of post-production in respect of which Ontario production expenditures may be claimed.

Amounts incurred in the qualifying corporation's taxation year but paid more than 60 days following the end of the taxation year, may not be claimed in the taxation year. However, such amounts may be claimed in the subsequent taxation year of the corporation if they are paid in the subsequent taxation year or within 60 days following the end of the subsequent year.

The following amounts are excluded from the definition of "qualifying production expenditure":

• amounts determined by reference to revenues or profits from the production (including deferrals),
• expenditures in respect of scientific research and experimental development, and
• amounts that are not costs of the production (including amounts in respect of advertising, marketing, promotion, market research or amounts related in any way to another production).

E. Assistance

Assistance is defined for purposes of the federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit as an amount in any form including but not limited to a grant, subsidy, forgivable loan, deduction from tax, or an allowance, received by the taxpayer from:

• persons who pay the amounts in order to achieve a benefit or advantage for the payer or for persons with whom the payer does not deal at arm's length,

or

• a public authority where the amount can reasonably be considered to have been received:
  • as an inducement, or
  • as a reimbursement, contribution or allowance or as assistance in respect of the cost of property or in respect of an outlay or expense,

to the extent that the amount may not reasonably be considered to be a payment made for the acquisition by the payer of an interest in the taxpayer or its business or property.

Payments to qualifying corporations from both private and public sources, domestic and foreign, regardless of their form, may constitute assistance. Whether an amount is assistance is determined based on the facts of the case.

The federal tax credits for film and television and most Ontario tax credits have been specifically excluded from the definition of "assistance" for purposes of the OPSTC. Accordingly, the OCASE Tax Credit is not "assistance" for purposes of the OPSTC.

Although the federal tax credits for film and television are excluded from the definition of assistance for the purposes of Ontario's film and television tax credits, Ontario's tax credits and all other provincial tax credits will be considered as assistance for purposes of the federal film and television tax credits. However, only the labour portion of the OPSTC is considered assistance for the purposes of the federal production services tax credit.

In addition, although the OPSTC and other Ontario tax credits are not assistance for purposes of the OPSTC, such credits do constitute revenue for corporate tax purposes generally and must therefore be included in the income of a qualifying corporation for the applicable taxation year of the corporation.

Under the definition of "qualifying production expenditure", the assistance to be deducted is that which may reasonably be considered to be directly attributable to any amount included in the production's qualifying production expenditure. Where assistance is labour-related, the portion of the assistance which must be deducted is determined by dividing the labour portion of the corporation's qualifying production expenditure for the production by its total labour expenditure for the production and multiplying the result by the value of the assistance. Where assistance is not labour-related (such as grants from a film or television fund), the portion of the assistance which must be deducted is determined by dividing the corporation's total qualifying production expenditure for the production by the total cost of the production and multiplying the result by the value of the assistance.

1.06 Summary of COVID-19 Extensions

The temporary extensions and applicable criteria are summarized in this table:

1.07 Is a Screen Credit Required on the Production?

A screen credit recognizing financial support from the Ontario Government is available for the convenience of producers to recognize the Ontario tax credits contribution to their production. A screen credit for an Ontario tax credit is certainly a welcome and appropriate way to acknowledge taxpayer support.

In the 2022 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review (Fall Economic Statement) the Province proposed a regulatory amendment to require a mandatory screen credit.  The logos and accompanying text can be downloaded here.

Back to top

Part 2 - Administrative Process

The OPSTC is jointly administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (operating as Ontario Creates) – an agency of the Government of Ontario - and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

A qualifying corporation submits an application to Ontario Creates for a Certificate of Eligibility. Ontario Creates reviews the application and, if applicable, issues a Certificate of Eligibility which certifies eligibility and estimates the amount of the OPSTC. In order to claim the OPSTC, the qualifying corporation files its corporate tax return and the Certificate of Eligibility with the CRA.

2.01 Ontario Creates Issues Certificates of Eligibility

Ontario Creates is responsible for issuing Certificates of Eligibility, which the qualifying corporation files with the Canada Revenue Agency with its T2 Corporation Income Tax Return for the applicable taxation year in order to claim the OPSTC. A Certificate of Eligibility sets out:

1. the eligibility of the applicant corporation;
2. the eligibility of the production; and
3. the estimated amount of the OPSTC, which may be subject to verification by the Canada Revenue Agency as indicated below.

Ontario Creates reserves the right to ask any question necessary to determine eligibility issues. As issues and fact patterns will differ depending on the specifics of any application, so too may the line of inquiry. Please note that receipt of a certificate for one production may not be relied upon as a guarantee of certification for subsequent filings.

2.02 How to Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility

All tax credit applications must be submitted via our Online Application Portal (OAP). Please ensure that your application includes all of the required information and supporting documentation (see Part 3 Required Documents), as only complete applications can be transmitted through the OAP. 

The qualifying corporation submits a completed OPSTC Application to Ontario Creates in respect of each eligible production. One application may be filed in respect of episodes of a television production produced for the same broadcast season.

The qualifying corporation is the corporation which is producing all or a part of the eligible production, and may not be the copyright owner. For administrative convenience, the qualifying corporation may appoint an agent to apply on its behalf, but any Certificate of Eligibility issued will be in the name of the qualifying corporation.

When you start an application on the OAP you can save your work and come back to it before submitting the application online. However, please note that once you have started the application on the OAP, you have 90 days to submit it before the application expires.

You can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility at any time during the production (from the start of principal photography or key animation) or after production activities have been completed. As a Certificate of Eligibility can be issued before all production activities are completed, it is not necessary to wait until all expenditures have been incurred before applying for a Certificate. If the production activities have been completed, you should submit a schedule of actual production expenditures and a final cost report. If the production is not complete, you should submit a schedule of projected production expenditures and a production budget.

All applications will be reviewed by a Tax Credit intake officer for completeness. If required documentation is missing, the file will not enter the queue. Applicants will be advised that the file will not move forward until the requested documentation is submitted.

2.03 Tax Credit Administration Fees

A non-refundable administration fee is payable with respect to each OPSTC application submitted to Ontario Creates. Administration fees are used to partially offset operating costs of the OPSTC program. Please note that the administration fee is required in order for the application to receive an Eligibility Review.

A. Calculation of the Administration Fee

The administration fee is calculated as 0.15% of the eligible expenditures for the application. There is a minimum fee of $5,000 and a maximum fee of $15,000 per application.

For example, if the estimate of the total paid Qualifying Production Expenditures (QPE) is $6,000,000, the administration fee is calculated as follows:

Administration Fee = Total Paid Qualifying Production Expenditures x 0.15%
= $6,000,000 x 0.15%
= $9,000

B. Other Administration Fees

There is an additional filing fee of $100 for applications that are submitted more than 24 months after the end of the first fiscal year in which principal photography began. Where a year-end has not been included in the application, the additional fee will be applied to applications submitted more than 24 months after the start of principal photography.

There is also a fee of $100 for each Amended Certificate.

C. How to Pay

Please pay the administration fee to Ontario Creates by Interac e-Transfer at the time the OPSTC application is submitted.

Further information can be found on the following pages:

• How to pay your tax credit administration fee via Interac e-Transfer

Please direct payment inquires to applyhelp@ontariocreates.ca.

Administration fees are payable at the time the OPSTC application is submitted, and must be paid in full in order for the application to be reviewed.

While an e-payment is preferred, if an e-payment cannot be made, the fee can be paid by cheque or money order.

2.04 How Long Does the Process Take?

The Ontario Creates Tax Credits Department will only review complete applications on a first-come, first-served basis and processing time will depend on the volume of applications received. If you file an incomplete application, you will be notified about deficiencies with the filing.

Where significant delays are encountered in obtaining responses from applicants, Ontario Creates reserves the right to close the file after 30 days.

2.05 Amendment or Revocation of Certificates

A Certificate of Eligibility may be amended to correct an error and under certain circumstances may be revoked by Ontario Creates.

An amended Certificate of Eligibility replaces any Certificate of Eligibility previously issued for the production. There is a fee of $100 for each amended Certificate of Eligibility.

If a Certificate of Eligibility is revoked by Ontario Creates, the revoked Certificate of Eligibility is treated as if it had never been issued and any OPSTC refund previously paid must be repaid.

2.06 Ontario Creates Contact Information

Questions? Not sure of eligibility?

Many questions are answered in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For further assistance, please contact taxcredits@ontariocreates.ca (preferred), or the Tax Credits Phone Duty line at 416 642 6659.

Please leave a detailed message including your name, company name, phone number and which tax credit or file you are inquiring about. Phone calls and emails will be responded to within one business day.

2.07 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Role

The Canada Revenue Agency administers both Federal and Ontario corporate taxes. CRA is responsible for the review or audit of the T2 Corporation Income Tax Return (T2 return) along with the Schedule T2SCH558 which must be filed by the qualifying corporation in order to claim the OPSTC. The CRA also processes T2 tax returns and issues Notices of Assessment and tax refunds.

2.08 Filing of a Corporate Tax Return

A corporation must file its T2 return for a taxation year with the CRA within six (6) months after the end of the corporation's taxation year. To claim the OPSTC a qualifying corporation must file its T2 return with Schedule T2SCH558 and the Certificate of Eligibility with the CRA. You can submit your Certificate of Eligibility and other documents securely and conveniently using a new feature available on CRA’s My Business Account (MyBA) portal. Please see What’s new – Film and media tax credits on CRA’s website for further details.

In the event that the Certificate of Eligibility is not available when you are ready to file your T2 return, you can still file the return and Schedule T2SCH558 with the estimated tax credit amount. Once Ontario Creates has issued the Certificate of Eligibility, submit the Certificate (or copy of) to the CRA. The CRA will process the claim once they have received the Certificate of Eligibility as well as the T2 Corporation Income Tax Return and applicable schedules.

The T2 Corporation Income Tax Return is available here and the applicable schedule is available here.

For additional information visit this page on the CRA website.

2.09 CRA Payment of Tax Credit Refund

Following its review or audit of the OPSTC claim, the CRA processes the T2 return and issues a Notice of Assessment and, if applicable, a refund.

If the qualifying corporation is owed a tax refund (which may include an OPSTC) for the taxation year, a cheque or direct deposit may be issued by the CRA. The amount of refund may be reduced by any of the qualifying corporation's outstanding federal and Ontario taxes (such as corporate income taxes, retail sales tax, provincial sales tax, etc).

2.10 CRA Contact Information

Inquiries should be directed to CRA's Toronto Film Services Unit at 1-833-446-0934.

Back to top

Part 3 - Required Documents

3.01 What Documentation is Required?

The application and all supporting documents must be submitted via the Online Application Portal (OAP) in order for an application to receive a review.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all documentation is current. Please submit updated information and documentation as changes occur.

In some cases Ontario Creates may also request additional documentation or information in order to issue a Certificate of Eligibility.

Please note that Ontario Creates may exchange taxpayer information with the CRA, as defined in subsection 146(6) of the Taxation Act, 2007 (Ontario), for the purpose of administering the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit. 

All documentation or information received from an applicant is subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Taxation Act and will be maintained in strictest confidence by Ontario Creates and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Required documents:

1. The completed OPSTC Application
2. Administration Fee, payable by Interac e-Transfer to Ontario Creates, calculated as 0.15% of the eligible expenditures for the application. While an e-payment is preferred, if an e-payment cannot be made, the fee can be paid by cheque or money order. There is a minimum fee of $5,000 per application and a maximum fee of $15,000 per application.
   NOTE: There is an additional filing fee of $100 for applications that are submitted more than 24 months from the company's relevant year-end; and there is a fee of $100 for amended Certificates.
3. Ontario Creates Applicant Declaration completed and signed by an authorized signing officer (officer and/or director) of the corporation.
4. Ontario Creates Waiver Declaration & Statement of Intent to Claim COVID-19 Extensions signed by an authorized signing officer (officer and/or director) of the corporation.
   NOTE: If you are applying for any of the COVID-19 temporary extensions, please complete page 2 of the form.
5. Incorporation documents for the qualifying corporation.
6. Please complete and sign the Corporate Schedule for the applicant company with all the information requested on the form.
7. Production Services Agreement between copyright holder and qualifying corporation.
   NOTE: If the production is domestic, please provide a copy of all signed final financing agreements.
8. Copy of the Official Designee Affidavit signed for purposes of the Federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit), if applicable.
9. Synopsis for the production (additional material may be requested).
10. Chain of Title Documentation (such as a legal opinion).
11. CAVCO Accreditation Certificate, if available,
    OR
    CAVCO Part A Certificate, if available (domestic productions).
12. Cast List with names and residency addresses.
13. Crew List with names and residency addresses.
14. Production Schedule including start and end dates of preproduction, principal photography and post production.
15. Financing Plan for the production (for domestic productions).
    NOTE: This information is entered directly in the online application.
16. Detailed Cost Report (if production has been completed),
    OR
    Production Budget.
17. Schedule of Final (actual) Ontario Qualifying Production Expenditures (if the production has been completed),
    OR
    Schedule of Projected Qualifying Production Expenditures. 
    NOTE: Please refer to the Qualifying Production Expenditure Calculation Form.

NOTE: For purposes of estimating the production's federal Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC), it is recommended that the labour expenditures be separated from the other production expenditures, as only the labour portion of the OPSTC will grind the PSTC.

3.02 Comparison of OPSTC and Federal PSTC Tax Credits

Back to top

Part 4 - Relevant Legislation and Regulations, and CAVCO Public Notices

These Guidelines have been prepared to assist applicants in applying for an Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC). The OPSTC Legislation (Section 92 of the Taxation Act, S.O. 2007) and Regulations (Ontario Regulation 37/09, s. 23 and s. 31- 33.1) take precedence over any provision of these Guidelines.

4.01 Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Legislation

The Legislation governing the OPSTC is set out in Section 92 of the Taxation Act, S.O. 2007, and can be found here.

4.02 Ontario Production Services Tax Credit Regulations

The Regulations governing the OPSTC are set out in Ontario Regulation 37/09, as amended by Regulation 70/10, and can be found here.

4.03 Federal Legislation

1. Income Tax Act (Canada)
2. Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit – s. 125.5
3. Definition of Assistance – s.12(1)(x)

4.04 Federal Regulations

1. Income Tax Act Regulations
2. Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit – s.9300
3. Definition of Permanent Establishment – s.400(2)

4.05 CAVCO Public Notices

1. 2017-02 – Definitions for ineligible genres of production for the purpose of the federal film or video production tax credit programs
2. 2017-03 – Definition of "advertising" for the purpose of the federal film or video production tax credit programs

Back to top