TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, said today that it planned to intensify its campaign to persuade the Government to introduce a range of measures to power the UK video games industry in the run up to the March Budget, with particular emphasis on TIGA’s Games Tax Relief and improvements to the existing R&D tax credits. TIGA made the commitment following a report in the Sunday Times that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was considering introducing Games Tax Relief in the March Budget.
Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:
“Given the economic contraction in the last quarter of 2010, we need a Budget for growth in March. The UK video games industry can play a part in rebalancing the UK economy away from an over-dependence upon financial services and the public sector. The UK game development sector provides high skilled employment, is R&D intensive and is an export oriented industry. It is just the kind of sector that the Government should be supporting if it is serious about strengthening the economic recovery.
“TIGA’s Games Tax Relief makes economic sense. We anticipate over 5 years that Games Tax Relief would create or safeguard 9,519 direct and indirect jobs (including 3,366 jobs in the games industry), £431 million investment in development expenditure, £394 million in tax receipts to HM Treasury, at a cost of £194 million in tax relief to HM Treasury. In other words, TIGA’s Games Tax Relief more than pays for itself.
“TIGA is the only trade association to have consistently argued for Video Games Tax Relief – in public and in private. TIGA will continue to campaign aggressively for Video Games Tax Relief in the run up to the Budget. We will also urge the Government to enhance the existing R&D tax breaks and to consider a series of other measures to power our industry forward. TIGA’s mission is to fight for the interests of the UK games industry and to make the UK the best place in the world to do games businesses. We urge game developers and publishers to join TIGA and to actively support our campaign in the weeks leading up to the Budget.””
Jason Kingsley, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion, said:
“TIGA is focussed on helping the UK games development community to fulfil its potential. So we will be making a strong, positive case for Games Tax Relief, enhanced R&D tax credits and other fiscal measures to the Coalition Government and to other political parties in the run up to the March Budget. We need a Budget for growth. TIGA has the ideas to help the Government achieve this objective.””
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Notes to editors:
About TIGA:
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership. TIGA was awarded ‘Trade Association of the Year’ and the ‘Member Recruitment Award’ at the Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2010. TIGA has also been named as a finalist in the 2010 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) National Management and Leadership Awards in the category of ‘The Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award (SME)’. TIGA is an Investors in People organisation.
TIGA’s vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
For further information, please contact Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on 07875939643: or email richard.wilson@tiga.org; or contact David Hodges on 02070911653