Burbank-based Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, a provider of payroll and related services to the entertainment industry, announced an expansion of the tax-incentive services it provides to Canadian productions through its Cast & Crew Financial Services subsidiary.
Cast & Crew Financial Services provides film and television productions with a range of services, such as production incentive financing, which includes lending against rebates, grants, transferable tax credits and refundable tax credits. Its administrative services team assists and advises on all aspects of production incentives, including evaluating jurisdictions, estimating potential incentives, providing referrals to local service providers, and assisting with paperwork and audits. The subsidiary also provides incentive consulting services, as well as its OnSet purchasing and procurement offering.
Through its Canadian affiliate Cast & Crew Capital, the company works both with Canadian and U.S. companies with production activities in Canada. In addition to the financing and tax-credit administration services that it already provides in the U.S. and Canada (including estimating expected tax credits, preparing and submitting applications, monitoring qualified expenditures and liaising with auditors and regulators), Cast & Crew will assist U.S. producers in navigating the requirements of the Canadian tax-credit programs.
Services will include incorporating the Canadian production companies, setting up the production services agreement with the copyright owner, opening tax accounts, preparing HST filings, and creating permanent establishments to be eligible for Canadian tax credits and filing accreditation applications. Cast & Crew’s addition of enhanced legal and accounting services in Canada will help clients to ensure that their activities are conducted in compliance with federal and complementary provincial requirements. These services can be provided in conjunction with a tax credit loan, or on a standalone basis.
“Canada is a very important market for Cast & Crew, and our goal always is to provide high-level services that bring direct and immediate benefits to our customers,” said Eric Belcher, president and chief executive officer. “We want to make their jobs easier. With these enhancements, we now can provide a full-service production incentive offering in Canada for studio and independent production clients alike.”
