1998 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 36th Parliament
THIRD READING
Certified correct as passed Third Reading on the 21st day of April, 1998
Ian D. Izard, Law Clerk
HONOURABLE JOY K. MacPHAIL
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND
CORPORATE RELATIONS
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:
1 Section 4 (5) (f) of the Income Tax Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 215, is repealed and the following substituted:
(f) 50.5% for the 1998 taxation year;
(g) 49.5% for the 1999 and subsequent taxation years.
2 Section 6 (1) (f) is repealed and the following substituted:
(f) for the 1998 taxation year,
(i) 30% of the amount by which that tax exceeds $5 300, and
(ii) 26% of the amount by which that tax exceeds $8 660 before the tax payable under subparagraph (i) is added;
(g) for the 1999 and subsequent taxation years,
(i) 30% of the amount by which that tax exceeds $5 300, and
(ii) 19% of the amount by which that tax exceeds $8 660 before the tax payable under subparagraph (i) is added.
3 Section 16 is amended by striking out "9%" wherever it appears and substituting "8.5%".
4 Section 16 is amended by striking out "8.5%" wherever it appears and substituting "8%".
5 Section 42 (2) (b) is amended by striking out "or" at the end of subparagraph (i), by striking out "and" at the end of subparagraph (ii) and substituting "or" and by adding the following:
(iii) the amount of the tax credit for a taxation year that, under section 84, the corporation is deemed to have paid on account of its tax payable for that year under this Act, and .
6 The following section is added to Part 2:
Anti-avoidance rule
68.1 (1) In this section:
"avoidance transaction" means a transaction
(a) that, but for this section, would result, directly or indirectly, in a tax benefit, or
(b) that is part of a series of transactions, which series, but for this section, would result, directly or indirectly, in a tax benefit,
but does not include a transaction that may reasonably be considered
(c) to have been undertaken or arranged primarily for bona fide purposes other than for one or more of the following:
(i) to obtain a tax benefit;
(ii) to reduce, avoid or defer a tax, or another amount payable as or in respect of tax, under any other federal or provincial Act;
(iii) to increase a refund of tax, or of another amount in respect of tax, under any other federal or provincial Act, or
(d) to be a transaction that would not result, directly or indirectly, in a misuse of the provisions of this Act or an abuse having regard to the provisions of this Act, other than this section, read as a whole;
"tax benefit" means
(a) a reduction, avoidance or deferral of tax, or of another amount, payable under this Act, or
(b) an increase in a refund of tax, or of another amount, under this Act;
"tax consequences" to a person means
(a) the amount of the person's
(i) income for the year, within the meaning of section 4 (1),
(ii) loss,
(iii) taxable income,
(iv) income earned in the taxation year in British Columbia, within the meaning of section 4 (1),
(v) income earned in the taxation year outside British Columbia, within the meaning of section 4 (1), or
(vi) taxable income earned in the year in British Columbia, within the meaning of section 14 (1), or
(b) any amount, other than an amount referred to in paragraph (a), that is payable or refundable to the person under this Act or that is relevant for the purposes of determining any other amount referred to in this section;
"transaction" includes an arrangement or event.
(2) If a transaction is an avoidance transaction, the tax consequences to a person must be determined in a manner that is reasonable in the circumstances in order to deny a tax benefit that, but for this section, would result, directly or indirectly, from that transaction or from a series of transactions that includes that transaction.
(3) Without limiting subsection (2),
(a) any amount deducted in computing an amount referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of "tax consequences" in subsection (1) may be allowed or disallowed in whole or in part,
(b) any deduction referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection or any other amount used in determining an amount payable or refundable under this Act may be allocated to any person,
(c) the nature of any payment or other amount may be recharacterized, and
(d) the tax effects that would otherwise result from the application of other provisions of this Act may be ignored,
in determining the tax consequences to a person in a manner that is reasonable in the circumstances in order to deny a tax benefit that would, but for this section, result, directly or indirectly, from an avoidance transaction.
(4) If a notice of assessment, reassessment or additional assessment reflecting the application of subsection (2) to a transaction has been sent to a person, or a notice of determination under section 29 or 30 has been sent to the person, any other person is entitled, within 180 days after the date of the mailing of that notice, to request in writing that the minister make an assessment, reassessment or additional assessment applying subsection (2) of this section or make a determination applying section 29 or 30 with respect to the transaction.
(5) On receipt of a request by a person under subsection (4), the minister must consider the request and make an assessment, reassessment or additional assessment, or a determination under section 29 or 30, with respect to the person, despite the expiry of any time limit under section 29 or 30, except that an assessment, reassessment or additional assessment or determination may be made under this subsection only to the extent that it may be reasonably regarded as relating to a transaction referred to in subsection (4) of this section.
(6) The tax consequences to any person, after the application of this section, must only be determined through
(a) a notice of assessment, reassessment or additional assessment under section 29 or 30, or
(b) a notice of determination under section 29 or 30.
7 The following Part is added:
Part 5 -- Film and Television Tax Credit
Definitions and interpretation
79 (1) In this Part:
"assistance" means an amount, other than an amount deemed to have been paid under section 84 or under section 125.4 (3) of the federal Act, that would be included under section 12 (1) (x) of the federal Act in computing the income of a taxpayer for any taxation year if that section were read without reference to subparagraphs (v) to (vii) of that section 12 (1) (x);
"BC-based corporation" means a corporation that has a permanent establishment in British Columbia;
"BC-based individual", in relation to an eligible production, means an individual who, by reason of being an individual described in section 2 (1) (a), is subject to tax under section 2 for the year preceding the year in which principal photography of the production begins;
"BC labour expenditure" of a corporation for a taxation year means, in relation to a film or video production, the total of the following amounts, to the extent that they are reasonable in the circumstances, that did not and do not form part of the BC labour expenditure of any other corporation:
(a) the salary or wages that
(i) are directly attributable to the production,
(ii) are incurred by the corporation
(A) after March 31, 1998,
(B) in that taxation year, or in the preceding taxation year, and
(C) for the stages of production of the production, from the final script stage to the end of the post-production stage, and
(iii) are amounts that
(A) were paid to BC-based individuals by the corporation in the taxation year, or within 60 days after the end of the taxation year, and
(B) did not form part of the corporation's BC labour expenditure for the preceding taxation year;
(b) remuneration, other than salary or wages, that
(i) is directly attributable to the production,
(ii) relates to services rendered to the corporation
(A) after March 31, 1998,
(B) in that taxation year, or in the preceding taxation year, and
(C) for the stages of production of the production, from the final script stage to the end of the post-production stage,
(iii) did not form part of the corporation's BC labour expenditure for the preceding taxation year, and
(iv) is paid, for the services referred to in subparagraph (ii), by the corporation in the taxation year, or within 60 days after the end of the taxation year, to
(A) a BC-based individual, to the extent that the amount paid
(I) is attributable to services personally rendered by the individual for the production, or
(II) is attributable to and does not exceed the salary or wages of the individual's employees who are BC-based individuals for personally rendering services for the production,
(B) another corporation that is a taxable Canadian corporation, if all of the issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of the corporation, except directors' qualifying shares, if any, belong to a BC-based individual and the activities of the corporation consist principally of the provision of that individual's services, to the extent that the amount paid is attributable to services rendered personally by the individual for the production,
(C) another corporation that is a taxable Canadian corporation, to the extent that the amount paid is attributable to and does not exceed the salary or wages of that corporation's employees who are BC-based individuals for personally rendering services for the production, or
(D) a partnership that is carrying on business in Canada, to the extent that the amount paid
(I) is attributable to services personally rendered for the production by a BC-based individual who is a member of the partnership, or
(II) is attributable to and does not exceed the salary or wages of the partnership's employees who are BC-based individuals for personally rendering services for the production;
(c) a reimbursement, other than a reimbursement that constitutes remuneration within the meaning of paragraph (b), made by the corporation to a second corporation (in this paragraph the "parent") of an expenditure that was made by the parent in respect of the production in a particular taxation year of the parent if
(i) the corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent,
(ii) the parent is a taxable Canadian corporation,
(iii) the corporation and the parent have agreed that this paragraph applies in respect of the production,
(iv) the reimbursement is made by the corporation in the corporation's taxation year, or within 60 days after the end of that taxation year, and
(v) the expenditure would have qualified for inclusion in the BC labour expenditure of the corporation in respect of the production for the taxation year under paragraph (a) or (b) if
(A) the taxation year for the corporation were the same as the taxation year for the parent, and
(B) the expenditure had been incurred by the corporation for the same purpose, and had been paid by the corporation at the same time and to the same person or partnership, as it was by the parent
but does not include
(d) an amount to which section 37 of the federal Act applies,
(e) an amount that is not a cost of producing the production,
(f) without limiting paragraph (e), an amount in respect of advertising, marketing, promotion or market research, or
(g) an amount related in any way to another film or video production;
"certifying authority" means the Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture;
"eligible production" means a film or video production made by an eligible production corporation that meets the following criteria:
(a) the production is not an excluded production;
(b) if the production is for television broadcast and is not directed primarily to children, the production, or, if the production comprises 2 or more episodes, each episode in the production, is suitable for initial broadcast in a standard television time slot of at least 30 minutes;
(c) no investor, and no partnership in which an investor has a direct or indirect interest, is entitled to deduct an amount in respect of the production in computing income for any taxation year for the purposes of the federal Act;
(d) at least 75% of the cost of producing the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, or, in the case of an interprovincial co-production or a treaty co-production, at least 75% of the cost of producing the British Columbia portion of the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, is payable to BC-based individuals or BC-based corporations in respect of goods or services provided in British Columbia by
(i) BC-based individuals who are employees, or
(ii) BC-based individuals, or BC-based corporations, in the course of carrying on business through a permanent establishment in British Columbia;
(e) there is a written agreement with a Canadian-controlled corporation that is a distributor of film or video productions, or with a Canadian broadcaster that is not associated, within the meaning of section 256 of the federal Act, with the eligible production corporation, for consideration at fair market value, to have the production shown in Canada within 24 months after the completion of the production;
(f) the following additional conditions are satisfied:
(i) if the production is neither an interprovincial co-production nor a treaty co-production,
(A) the certifying authority has allotted at least 6 Canadian content points in respect of the production in accordance with the regulations, or the production is a documentary and all of the creative positions applicable to the production are occupied by Canadians,
(B) at least 75% of the cost of post-production work for the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, is for post-production work carried out in British Columbia, and
(C) in the case of a production that is not a documentary, principal photography of the production is done in British Columbia during at least 75% of the total number of days during which principal photography of the production is done;
(ii) if the production is an interprovincial co-production,
(A) the certifying authority has allotted at least 6 Canadian content points in respect of the production in accordance with the regulations, or the production is a documentary and all of the creative positions applicable to the production are occupied by Canadians,
(B) at least 20% of the cost of producing the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, is in respect of the British Columbia portion of the production, and
(C) at least 50% of the cost of post-production work for the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, is for post-production work carried out in British Columbia;
(iii) if the production is a treaty co-production, at least 20% of the cost of producing the Canadian portion of the production, other than costs determined by reference to the amount of income from the production, is in respect of the British Columbia portion of the production;
"eligible production corporation", for a taxation year, means a BC-based corporation that is throughout the taxation year a Canadian-controlled taxable Canadian corporation the activities of which in the taxation year are primarily the carrying on of a film or video production business through a permanent establishment in Canada, but does not include a corporation that
(a) is exempt from tax under section 27,
(b) is controlled directly or indirectly in any manner whatever by one or more persons all or part of whose taxable income is exempt from tax under section 27 of this Act or under Part 1 of the federal Act,
(c) is prescribed, under the federal Act, to be a labour-sponsored venture capital corporation for the purpose of section 127.4 of that Act,
(d) has registered an employee share ownership plan under section 2 of the Employee Investment Act,
(e) is an employee venture capital corporation registered under section 8 of the Employee Investment Act, or
(f) is a small business venture capital corporation registered under section 3 of the Small Business Venture Capital Act;
"qualified BC labour expenditure" of a corporation for a taxation year in respect of a film or video production means the lesser of
(a) the positive amount, if any, determined by the formula
where
LE means the BC labour expenditure of the corporation for the taxation year in respect of the production,
DL means, if the production is not complete before the beginning of the previous taxation year and the corporation had, for the previous taxation year, a qualified BC labour expenditure that was determined in respect of the production under paragraph (b) of this definition, the difference between the previous year's qualified BC labour expenditure and the amount that would have been the previous year's qualified BC labour expenditure had that amount been calculated under paragraph (a) of this definition, and
RE means the total of those expenditures made in respect of the production
(i) that are included in LE, and
(ii) for which reimbursement is to be or has been provided to the corporation under an agreement referred to in paragraph (c) of the definition of "BC labour expenditure", and
(b) the positive amount, if any, determined by the formula
where
TPC means the total, determined at the end of the taxation year, of the costs incurred by the corporation in producing the production,
TA means the total of all amounts of assistance in respect of TPC that, at the time of the filing of the corporation's return of income for the year,
(a) the corporation or any other person or partnership has received, is entitled to receive or can reasonably be expected to receive,
(b) has not been repaid under a legal obligation to do so, and
(c) does not otherwise reduce TPC, and
LC means the total of the corporation's qualified BC labour expenditures
(a) in respect of the production, and
(b) for each of the preceding taxation years before the end of which principal photography of the production began;
"related" has the same meaning as in section 251 of the federal Act;
"remuneration" does not include an amount determined by reference to profits or revenues;
"salary or wages" has the same meaning as in section 248 of the federal Act as modified by section 125.4 (1) of that Act;
"taxable Canadian corporation" has the same meaning as in the federal Act.
(2) If a film or video production is intended for television broadcast as a series, the production comprises all of the episodes constituting a cycle of that production.
Basic tax credit
80 (1) A corporation is eligible for a basic tax credit for a taxation year in respect of an eligible production if
(a) principal photography of the production begins
(i) before the end of the taxation year,
(ii) after March 31, 1998, and
(iii) before April 1, 2003,
(b) the production is completed within 24 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began,
(c) the corporation is, throughout the taxation year in respect of which the tax credit is being claimed, an eligible production corporation that is BC-controlled,
(d) the producer of the production, or, in the case of an interprovincial co- production or a treaty co-production, the producer of the British Columbia portion of the production, is at all times during the production of the production, a BC-based individual who is a Canadian,
(e) no distribution of the production is made in Canada, within 24 months after the completion of the production, by a person who is not a Canadian,
(f) for a production that is neither an interprovincial co-production nor a treaty co-production,
(i) more than 50% of the copyright in the production is owned by the corporation or by a BC-controlled eligible production corporation that is related to the corporation, and
(ii) the balance, if any, of the copyright is owned by one or more of the following:
(A) an eligible production corporation;
(B) a corporation that would be an eligible production corporation if it had a permanent establishment in British Columbia;
(C) a recognized person,
(g) for a production that is neither an interprovincial co-production nor a treaty co-production, the initial licensing of the commercial exploitation of the production is controlled by one of the corporations referred to in paragraph (f) (i),
(h) for a production that is an interprovincial co-production or a treaty co- production, the corporation, or a BC-controlled eligible production corporation that is related to the corporation, retains a share, acceptable to the certifying authority, of revenues from the exploitation of the production in non-Canadian markets,
(i) for a production that is an interprovincial co-production, more than 20% of the copyright in the production is owned by the corporation or by a BC-controlled eligible production corporation that is related to the corporation,
(j) the corporation has obtained a valid eligibility certificate issued to it under section 86 in respect of the production and the claimed tax credit, and
(k) the corporation makes application for the basic tax credit in accordance with section 85.
(2) The amount of the tax credit that may be claimed by a qualifying corporation under this section is,
(a) in the case of a production that is an interprovincial co-production, 20% of the corporation's qualified BC labour expenditure for the taxation year in respect of the production multiplied by the percentage of the copyright in the production that is beneficially owned by the corporation, or
(b) in any other case, 20% of the corporation's qualified BC labour expenditure for the taxation year in respect of the production.
Regional tax credit
81 (1) A corporation is eligible for a regional tax credit for a taxation year in respect of an eligible production if
(a) principal photography of the production begins
(i) before the end of the taxation year,
(ii) after March 31, 1998, and
(iii) before April 1, 2003,
(b) the production is completed within 24 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began,
(c) the corporation is, throughout the taxation year in respect of which the tax credit is claimed, an eligible production corporation that is Canadian-controlled,
(d) principal photography of the production, or, in the case of a production that is intended for television broadcast as a series and that comprises a cycle of at least 3 episodes, principal photography of at least 3 of those episodes (the "qualifying episodes"), is done in British Columbia outside of the designated Vancouver area during at least 85% of the total number of days during which principal photography of the production or the qualifying episodes, as the case may be, is done,
(e) throughout the period during which principal photography of the production or of the qualifying episodes, as the case may be, is done in British Columbia outside of the designated Vancouver area, the corporation has a production office that is located in British Columbia outside of the designated Vancouver area,
(f) the corporation has obtained a valid eligibility certificate issued to it under section 86 in respect of the production and the claimed tax credit, and
(g) the corporation makes application for the regional tax credit in accordance with section 85.
(2) The amount of the tax credit that may be claimed by a qualifying corporation under this section is
(a) subject to paragraph (b), 12.5% of the corporation's qualified BC labour expenditure for the taxation year in respect of the production, or
(b) for a film or video production referred to in subsection (1) (d) that is intended for television broadcast as a series, 12.5% of the corporation's qualified BC labour expenditure for the taxation year in respect of the qualifying episodes referred to in that provision.
Training tax credit
82 (1) A corporation is eligible for a training tax credit for a taxation year in respect of an eligible production if
(a) the corporation is eligible for, and has made or is making an application in accordance with section 85 for, a tax credit in relation to the production under one or both of sections 80 and 81,
(b) one or more BC-based individuals are participating as trainees in an approved training program in relation to the production,
(c) the corporation has obtained a valid eligibility certificate issued to it under section 86 in respect of the production and the claimed tax credit, and
(d) the corporation makes application for the training tax credit in accordance with section 85.
(2) The amount of the tax credit that may be claimed by a qualifying corporation under this section is the lesser of
(a) 3% of the qualified BC labour expenditure of the corporation for the taxation year in respect of the production, and
(b) 30% of the amount by which the payments attributable to training exceed the amount of assistance that the corporation has received, is entitled to receive or can reasonably be expected to receive for that taxation year in relation to
(i) the approved training program, or
(ii) the trainees referred to in subsection (1) (b).
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) (b), "payments attributable to training" means the salary or wages and remuneration paid
(a) by the corporation,
(b) to the trainees referred to in subsection (1) (b),
(c) in the taxation year, and
(d) in respect of the period during which the trainees to whom the salary or wages or remuneration was paid were participating as trainees in the approved training program in relation to the production.
No credit available if section 17 deduction made
83 A corporation that has made a deduction in accordance with section 17 for a taxation year must not claim a tax credit under this Part for the same taxation year.
Deemed payment
84 A corporation that has claimed and is eligible for a tax credit under this Part for a taxation year is deemed to have paid, at the time referred to in section 157 (1) (b) of the federal Act, as that section relates to that taxation year, the amount of that credit on account of its tax payable under this Act.
Application for tax credit
85 (1) A corporation that wishes to claim a tax credit under this Part in respect of a taxation year must file, with the return of income filed by the corporation under section 29 for that taxation year,
(a) the eligibility certificate issued to the corporation under section 86 that is appropriate to
(i) the tax credit, and
(ii) the film or video production in respect of which the claim is made,
(b) if the tax credit is claimed in respect of the taxation year in which the production is completed, the completion certificate issued to the corporation in respect of the production under section 87, and
(c) an application for the tax credit in the form, and containing the information and records, required by the Commissioner of Income Tax.
(2) A corporation is not entitled to a tax credit in respect of a taxation year under this Part unless, within 36 months after the end of the taxation year, the corporation files the information and records required under subsection (1) for that tax credit.
Eligibility certificate
86 (1) A corporation that wishes to claim one or more of the tax credits referred to in sections 80 to 82 in respect of a film or video production must apply to the certifying authority for an eligibility certificate.
(2) A corporation referred to in subsection (1) must, with its application,
(a) pay an application fee to a person prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and
(b) provide the information and records that the certifying authority requires in respect of the corporation and the production.
(3) On receiving an application under this section, the certifying authority must issue to the applicant corporation an eligibility certificate if the certifying authority is satisfied, on the basis of the information provided by the corporation and any other information available to the certifying authority, that the corporation will, on completion of the production, be entitled to receive a completion certificate under section 87 in respect of the production and the specified tax credits.
Completion certificate
87 (1) A corporation that has claimed or intends to claim a tax credit under this Part in respect of a film or video production must apply to the certifying authority for a completion certificate promptly after the completion of the production.
(2) A corporation referred to in subsection (1) must, with its application,
(a) pay an application fee to a person prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and
(b) provide the information and records that the certifying authority requires in respect of the corporation and the production.
(3) On receiving an application under this section, the certifying authority must issue to the applicant corporation a completion certificate if the certifying authority is satisfied, on the basis of the information provided by the corporation and any other information available to the certifying authority, that the corporation is eligible for the specified tax credits that have been and are being claimed by the corporation in respect of the production.
Revocation of certificates
88 (1) A certificate may be revoked by the certifying authority or by the Provincial minister if,
(a) in the case of a certificate issued under section 86 or 87,
(i) an omission or incorrect statement was made for the purpose of obtaining the certificate,
(ii) the corporation to which the certificate was issued does not meet the eligibility requirements for one or more of the tax credits to which the certificate relates, or
(iii) the production in respect of which the certificate was issued does not meet the eligibility requirements for one or more of the tax credits to which the certificate relates, or
(b) in the case of an eligibility certificate issued to a corporation under section 86 in respect of a production,
(i) a completion certificate is not issued under section 87 in respect of the production
(A) within 30 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began, or
(B) within any later period that the certifying authority or the Provincial minister may, in writing, provide in relation to a reconsideration being undertaken under section 92 (1) or that the court may order on an appeal brought in accordance with section 92 (2) and (3), or
(ii) a completion certificate issued to the corporation under section 87 in respect of the production is revoked.
(2) A certificate that is revoked by the certifying authority or by the Provincial minister is deemed never to have been issued.
Notice of refusal or revocation
89 (1) If the certifying authority refuses to issue a certificate for which application is made under section 86 or 87, the certifying authority must promptly give notice of that refusal, together with reasons for the refusal, to the corporation.
(2) If the certifying authority revokes a certificate issued under section 86 or 87, the certifying authority must promptly give notice of that revocation, together with reasons for the revocation, to the corporation and the Provincial minister or, if the revocation is effected by the Provincial minister, that minister must promptly give notice of that revocation, together with reasons for the revocation, to the corporation and the certifying authority.
Tax credit must be reimbursed
90 Without limiting any provision of this Act or the federal Act, if a corporation has claimed a tax credit under this Part in respect of a film or video production and is, under section 84 of this Act, deemed for a taxation year to have paid the amount of the tax credit on account of its tax payable under this Act, the amount of the tax credit must be repaid, and is, together with interest from the time referred to in section 157 (1) (b) of the federal Act, as that section relates to that taxation year, a debt of the corporation due to the Provincial government, if
(a) the eligibility certificate issued to the corporation under section 86 in respect of that tax credit has been revoked without another eligibility certificate having been issued in replacement,
(b) a completion certificate is not issued to the corporation under section 87 in respect of that tax credit
(i) within 30 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began, or
(ii) within any later period that the certifying authority or the Provincial minister may, in writing, provide in relation to a reconsideration being undertaken under section 92 (1) or that the court may order on an appeal brought in accordance with section 92 (2) and (3),
(c) a completion certificate issued to the corporation under section 87 in respect of the production is revoked without another completion certificate having been issued in replacement, or
(d) the corporation is not otherwise entitled to the tax credit.
Recovery of debt
91 (1) Without limiting any provision of this Act or the federal Act, for the purpose of recovering a debt due to the Provincial government under this Part, the Commissioner of Income Tax may
(a) issue a certificate stating
(i) that the amount is due,
(ii) the amount remaining unpaid, including interest, and
(iii) the name of the person required to pay it, and
(b) file the certificate with the Supreme Court.
(2) A certificate filed under subsection (1) with the Supreme Court is of the same effect, and proceedings may be taken on it, as if it were a judgment of the Supreme Court for the recovery of a debt in the amount stated against the person named in it.
Reconsiderations and certification appeals
92 (1) Any decision made under this Part by or on behalf of the certifying authority or the Provincial minister may be reconsidered and confirmed, reversed or varied by or on behalf of that person.
(2) Without limiting any provision of this Act or the federal Act, a corporation may appeal, in accordance with subsection (3), any of the following:
(a) a decision of the certifying authority to issue or to refuse to issue a certificate under this Part;
(b) a decision of the certifying authority or the Provincial minister to revoke a certificate issued under this Part;
(c) the failure of the certifying authority to issue or to refuse to issue a completion certificate under this Part within 30 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began, if the application for the certificate was made as soon as was reasonably practicable in the circumstances.
(3) An appeal must be brought in the Supreme Court, by way of originating application,
(a) in the case of an appeal brought under subsection (2) (a) or (b), within 120 days after the date of any notice of the decision provided by the certifying authority or the Provincial minister, or
(b) in the case of an appeal brought under subsection (2) (c), within 120 days after the date that is 30 months after the end of the corporation's taxation year in which the principal photography of the production began.
Powers of audit
93 Without limiting any provision of this Act or the federal Act, for the purpose of determining whether a corporation is eligible for a tax credit under this Part, the Commissioner of Income Tax has powers equivalent to the federal minister under sections 230 (3), 231, 231.1, 233 and 236 of the federal Act, and for that purpose those sections apply.
Minister may require information regarding certificates
94 The Provincial minister is entitled to obtain from the certifying authority any information required by the Provincial minister respecting certificates issued, refused or revoked by the certifying authority.
Collection and sharing of information
95 (1) The certifying authority or the Provincial minister may designate any person or body as an advisory body for the purposes of this Part.
(2) Without limiting any provision of this or any other enactment, the certifying authority, the Provincial minister and any advisory body designated under subsection (1) may
(a) collect any information that is relevant to an applicant's eligibility for a tax credit being claimed or already claimed under this Part, and
(b) share with each other, in accordance with an information-sharing agreement entered into in accordance with section 65, any information respecting an application, an applicant or any other person if the information is relevant to a tax credit being claimed or already claimed under this Part.
Power to make regulations
96 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations referred to in section 41 of the Interpretation Act.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:
(a) defining any word or expression used in this Part or in any regulations made under this Part;
(b) determining and allocating Canadian content points for the purposes of the definition of "eligible production";
(c) prescribing one or more persons to whom fees payable under or by virtue of this Part, including fees for certificates issued under this Part, must be paid;
(d) prescribing the boundaries for the designated Vancouver area.
(3) Regulations that may be made under this Part may be made retroactive to April 1, 1998 or a later date that the Lieutenant Governor in Council may determine, and a regulation made retroactive is deemed to come into force on the date specified in the regulation.
8 Section 79 (1) is amended in the definition of "assistance" by adding "or 125.5 (3)" after "section 125.4 (3)".
Commencement
9 (1) Section 8 comes into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
(2) When brought into force by regulation, section 8
(a) is deemed to have come into force on the later of
(i) April 1, 1998, and
(ii) the date on which section 125.5 (3) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) comes into force, and
(b) is retroactive to the extent necessary to give it effect on and after that date.
(3) Sections 1, 2 and 6 are deemed to have come into force on March 31, 1998 and are retroactive to the extent necessary to give them effect on and after that date.
(4) Sections 5 and 7 are deemed to have come into force on April 1, 1998 and are retroactive to the extent necessary to give them effect on and after that date.
(5) Section 3 comes into force on January 1, 1999.
(6) Section 4 comes into force on January 1, 2000.
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