Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
Tax credit25% of qualified labour
The federal content credit. It returns 25% of qualified Canadian labour expenditure, with that labour capped at 60% of net production cost — an effective ceiling of about 15% of the budget.
Eligibility
- Prescribed taxable Canadian corporation, Canadian-controlled
- Production must earn 6 of 10 CAVCO content points (or qualify as a treaty co-production)
- Canadian producer must retain control and a share of revenues
- Distribution commitment in Canada within two years of completion
Qualifying spend
- Salaries and wages paid to Canadian residents
- Remuneration under eligible service contracts with Canadians
Caps and limits
- Qualified labour expenditure is limited to 60% of production cost net of assistance
- Effective maximum of roughly 15% of net production cost
Excluded
- Non-Canadian labour
- Goods, equipment and non-labour costs
- News, talk, sports, game shows, reality and advertising formats
Minimum spend
No statutory minimum budget
Stacking
Stacks with provincial CanCon credits. Cannot be combined with the federal PSTC on the same production.
How to apply
Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO), Canadian Heritage, with CRA — Part A certificate before or during production; Part B on completion
Filed with the corporate return; CRA processes the refund.