As Donald Trump now rallies for a federal film and TV tax incentive, Canada’s actor union is urging the feds in Ottawa to bolster its own country’s domestic production sector.
“It’s now more important than ever, that Canada keeps its focus on producing more Canadian stories here at home,” ACTRA national president Eleanor Noble said a statement on Tuesday. “Canada must support its own industry, and we must carve out our own place in the world.”
And ACTRA Toronto, the performer union’s biggest branch, urged Ontario, led by Premier Doug Ford, to raise the value of its provincial tax credit for foreign and local producers to stay competitive. “Canadian and international productions are a life blood for our members. If Ontario wants to remain a world-class production centre, we need a balanced plan to attract international investment, grow Canadian production and protect performers,” stated Kate Ziegler, president of ACTRA Toronto.
The local branch wants to see the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit for foreign producers raised from 21.5 percent of all production expenditures in provinces being offset currently to a 25 percent calculation. And ACTRA Toronto wants to see the Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit for local producers bumped to a 40 percent offset for eligible provincial labour expenditures, from a 35 percent calculation currently.
