Incentives · Head to head

Ontario
vs. Alberta

Modelled on a $12M USD limited series, 55% Canadian labour, 35% goods & services, no regional days. Change any of it in the calculator.

Rates primary-sourced 2026-07-29 (docs/tax) · simplified model · estimates only, never tax advice.

Ontario
25.1%
net effective on total budget · ≈ C$4.1M stacked credit
FED
PROV

OPSTC 21.5% all-spend; no cap

Alberta
25.4%
net effective on total budget · ≈ C$4.2M stacked credit
FED
PROV

FTTC 22%; 30% if AB-owned/treaty co-pro/rural

Line by line
ONAB
ProgrammeOPSTC 21.5% all-spendFTTC 22%
Credit baseAll qualifying spendAll qualifying spend
Headline rate21.5%22.0%
Regional bonus
Crew depth (1–5)▓▓▓▓░ 4▓▓▓░░ 3
Flight from LA4h 50m direct3h 20m direct
The verdict

On this budget, Alberta returns about the same as Ontario .

The incentive difference here is inside the noise of a simplified model. Decide this one on crew availability, stage space and flight time instead — the money is a wash.

Both numbers assume you can wait 12–24 months for a refundable credit. If you cannot, see Canada vs. Georgia — a transferable credit behaves completely differently on cash flow, and for some financings that matters more than the headline rate.

Reality check

When you need the money this year

Canadian credits are refundable rather than transferable, which is better value overall — but it does mean waiting for assessment, commonly 12 to 24 months after wrap. You can borrow against the receivable, but you cannot sell it the way a Georgia credit can be sold, and that borrowing has a real cost.

Reality check

When your preferred market is running hot

When a market saturates, department heads get scarce, permit lists run deep, and rates climb above scale. The premium you pay to staff up in a tight market can absorb a meaningful share of the credit you came for — and the schedule risk usually matters more than the money.

Other pairs

Choosing between these two for a real production?

Same production, same stack, but your labour split and schedule decide which one actually pays more.

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