In November 2014, the Ministry of Finance released its Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review document, which stated that the province will review the scope and parameters of the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.

This tax credit is a very important instrument for the digital media industry. IO has been meeting with key government ministries – and will continue to do so – in order to apprise them of the importance of the OIDMTC to our sector and suggest ways it can be improved for bona fide IDM creators.

We have organized a series of townhall meetings and encourage you to join us in Waterloo (January 28), Toronto (February 9), St. Catharines (February 12) or Ottawa (March 31) to discuss your concerns around the OIDMTC review. View the presentation deck from our Toronto townhall here.

Call for Action
To keep the tax credit intact, IO is asking those in the Ontario IDM industry to reach out to their local MPPs and educate them about our industry – who we are, what we do, and our impact on the local economy.

 MPPs like to support businesses in their ridings, and the best way to save the OIDMTC from cutbacks is to inspire politicians with your passion for innovation and job creation through the leading edge projects you do. The personal is the political.

Things you can do to help preserve the OIDMTC

  • Contact your local MPP – send a letter/email or request a meeting (visit this link to find your MPP)
  • Contact Minister of Finance Charles Sousa with a letter or email
  • Contact Minister of Culture Michael Coteau with a letter or email
  • Contact Finance Committee Members with a letter or email

While we encourage you to draft a custom letter, you may also use this template letter and personalize it with details about your company.

Talking Points with your MPP

  • Talk about your company. What do you do? Have you won awards?
  • IDM is a young and fast-growing industry that straddles content and technology worlds. In fact, many of the IDM companies are making content by leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as iBeacons and Oculus Rift. Focus on your innovations and IP.
  • IDM is a fast-growing industry; the majority of employees are under 30, and 97% have some form of higher education. IDM companies are anchoring talent in Ontario – talent that could travel and work anywhere. Talk about growth in your company and how many people under 30 you employ.
  • Talk about your exports and international outreach. Growing revenues by reaching out to export markets is a focus of the government.
  • Leave them with a brochure showing data from Interactive Ontario – contact us at communications@138.197.165.69 to receive copies of the brochure

Additional ways to support this advocacy campaign

  • Visit idm.interactiveontario.com to add your IDM company to the Mapping Ontario’s Digital Economy (MODE) project
  • Fill out our survey on the growth of Ontario’s IDM industry at bitly.com/oidmtc
  • Become a member at interactiveontario.com/membership
  • Make a donation – all funds raised will support our Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit advocacy campaign.
    Please note that we are not able to issue tax receipts for donations.

The participation of IDM professionals such as yourself will be the key to informing key decision makers about the importance of the OIDMTC to the continued growth of Ontario’s IDM sector – a forward-thinking industry that provides countless benefits to our province’s economy.