TIGA, the trade association
representing the UK Games Industry, has today thanked the Westminster All Party
Computer and Video Games Industry Group for helping to encourage Chancellor
George Osborne to give tax relief to game developers in this week’s Budget.
Eight MPs from the All Party Computer and Video Games
Industry Group signed a letter sent by TIGA to the Chancellor, putting forward
the case for tax credits ahead of the decision to grant film-industry style tax
breaks.
The letter was signed by former ministers the Rt Hon Stephen
Timms MP and Tom Watson MP and Chair of the Department of Culture, Media and
Sport Select Committee John Whittingdale OBE MP.
It was also signed by Chris White MP (Conservative), Justin Tomlinson MP
(Conservative), Jim McGovern MP (Labour), Luciana Berger MP (Labour) and
Stewart Hosie MP (Scottish National Party).
The letter stated:
“To maintain its status as a
world-class games development location, to continue to maximise tax revenues
and to attract investment into the UK, the UK Coalition Government needs to
implement a relatively modest but significant fiscal intervention, a tax relief
for games development.”
TIGA estimates that tax relief will increase the games
development sector’s contribution to UK GDP by £283 million, generate £172
million in new and protected tax receipts to HM Treasury, and could cost just
£96 million over five years.
In his Budget, Chancellor Osbourne said:
“Today
we also set Britain this industrial ambition – that we turn Britain into
Europe’s technology centre. We will start with digital content. The film tax
credit, protected in our spending review, helps generate more than £1bn of film
production investment in the UK in the last year alone.
“Today
I am announcing our intention to introduce similar schemes for the videogames,
animation and high-end TV production industry.”
TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson said:
“The
huge effort and support from those inside and outside the videogame industry
has been instrumental in helping TIGA to achieve the goal of tax relief for
developers in the UK. I would like to thank all of those
MPs who have backed the case and enabled us to take it to the heart of
Westminster. I would especially like to thank all of the members of the
Westminster All Party Computer and Video Games Industry Group and particularly
the eight signatories of this letter: these MPs have really fought for the
interests of the UK games development sector.”
TIGA held an event at the House of Commons last Thursday
with the aim of gathering further support for tax breaks.
TIGA instigated the creation of the All Party Group in
2009 and then instigated the Group again after the 2010 General Election.
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 won 10 business awards and
was nominated a finalist for 9 other awards during 2010 and 2011. In 2010
TIGA won two business awards including ‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the
Trade Association Forum.
In 2011, TIGA won eight business awards including
‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the Trade Association Forum, ‘Outstanding
Organisation’ from the Chartered Management Institute and two Global Business
Excellence Awards, including ‘Outstanding Marketing Campaign’. Richard Wilson won the ‘Leadership Award’
from the Trade Association Forum and the ‘Outstanding Leader’ award from the
Chartered Management Institute. 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: 07875 939
643, or email richard.wilson@tiga.org.