The 2026 British Columbia budget makes the province’s Book Publishing Tax Credit a permanent program.

First introduced in 2003, the tax credit is available to publishers that operate primarily in B.C. and receive a base amount of Support for Publishers funding under the federal Canada Book Fund. Under the program, eligible B.C. publishers may receive a tax credit of up to 90 per cent of the base amount of Support for Publishers funding that they receive during the tax year.

The budget, tabled in the provincial legislature on Feb. 17, removed the sunset date for the tax credit and makes it permanent, effective March 31. The tax credit costs the B.C. government $3 million a year.

B.C. publishers have lauded the move.

“Books BC has effectively been advocating for the renewal of the Book Publishing Tax Credit for 20 years,” Matea Kulić, executive director of the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. (Books BC) said in a press release. “Today we wish to express our appreciation to the Government of B.C. for being responsive to the needs and concerns of our members by making this crucial support permanent. All British Columbians benefit from a thriving local book publishing industry that reflects their stories and culture back to them, and contributes to a stronger creative economy. It ensures that the hundreds of local authors, illustrators, and contractors employed by the book industry remain supported here in B.C.”