TIGA is the only organisation to have consistently campaigned for Video Games Tax Relief. TIGA always supported tax relief for games production and we waged a focused seven year campaign for the introduction of Games Tax Relief between 2008 and 2014.

 

Video Games Tax Relief has been available to UK games companies since April 2014 and applications have grown each year. According to HMRC, there were 150 British video games completed in 2019-20 which claimed Video Games tax relief (VGTR), with UK expenditure of £355 million. These figures are likely to increase as more claims are received by HMRC. Since the relief was introduced in 2014, 1,375 video games have made claims, accounting for £3.7 billion of UK expenditure. Each game may make several claims during the production process. One claim can also be made to cover several games. In 2019-20, 350 claims were made for a total of £121 million, which represented 605 games. Since VGTR was introduced, a total of £444 million has been paid out to 1,460 claims.

TIGA initially secured Games Tax Relief in the March 2010 Budget. This was dropped by the Coalition Government in the June 2010 Budget.  TIGA ignored the siren calls to give up and instead continued to wage a vigorous campaign for the introduction of Games Tax Relief.

After another 18 months of relentless work, TIGA successfully persuaded the Coalition Government in the March 2012 Budget to back Games Tax Relief. However, Games Tax Relief was then blocked by the EU Commission as it announced a formal investigation into the proposal in April 2013.

TIGA then submitted compelling evidence to the EU Commission, co-ordinating its efforts with the UK Government and its partners in the European Games Developers’ Federation (EDGF) to successfully assuage the EU Commission’s concerns. Finally, TIGA’s campaign for Games Tax Relief reached a successful conclusion in March 2014 when the EU Commission finally consented to its introduction in the UK.

Tax relief for the video games sector is increasing employment, innovation and investment in the UK video games industry and enabling us to compete on a more level playing field with our overseas competitors. This is a significant victory for the UK games development and digital publishing sector and will provide a powerful boost to the industry.

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“I was very impressed by the case that you made in relation to tax breaks for computer games and I pressed this point again when I wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the budget…I…congratulate you and TIGA on being such a driving force in achieving it [Video Game Tax Relief].”

John Swinney MSP,Deputy First Minister of Scotland and former Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (2007-2016)
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“Unlike many trade associations, TIGA has consistently provided strong empirical evidence to back up its case for Government support and investment. TIGA made a powerful case for a tax credit for games production and I was pleased to work with TIGA in securing this measure in the recent Budget [i.e. 2012 budget].”
“As an MP I meet many trade associations, public affairs organisations and lobbying groups. TIGA has earned a unique reputation as an independent, professional and tenacious campaigning body. TIGA has waged a seven year campaign for Video Games Tax Relief. Along the way, TIGA has managed to persuade the UK’s four major political parties, three governments (Labour in 2010, the Scottish Government in 2011 and the Coalition Government in 2012) and finally the EU Commission in 2014 to support Video Games Tax Relief. To put it simply, Games Tax Relief would not have happened without TIGA. I’m delighted to have been able to work with TIGA to successively deliver Games Tax Relief and to support an industry that I care passionately about.”

Justin Tomlinson MPformer Chair of the All Party Computer and Video Games Industry Group, and Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health
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“I pay tribute to TIGA for playing a leading role in raising the profile of the games industry in Parliament and for playing a critical role in lobbying for this tax change [Video Game Tax Relief]”.
“The final approval of tax relief for the video games industry is terrific news and will ensure that the UK remains one of the leaders in the development and production of electronic games. TIGA deserves considerable credit for the success of their campaign which they have promoted over a number of years.”

Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MPMinister of State for Media and Data, and former Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
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"Both as a Government Minister and from the Opposition benches, I have seen TIGA campaigning professionally and tenaciously for Games Tax Relief. TIGA played a critical role in securing the Relief, convincing successive governments - a difficult job in both cases. I hope the tax credit which their lobbying has secured, and which I strongly support, will provide a powerful boost to the UK video games industry."

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MPChair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee
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“I have no doubt that with TIGA - the UK’s best trade association – the issues that matter to the video games sector will remain high up the political agenda.”

Tom Watsonformer Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (2015-2019) and former Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2016-2019)
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“TIGA’s proposal to increase the rate of VGTR from 25 per cent to 32 per cent would give a powerful stimulus to the UK video games industry. An increase in the rate of VGTR would boost investment and employment, enable more studios to self-publish their own IP, and enable the UK games industry to compete more effectively around the world. With more and more young people developing an interest in a career in the games industry, it is vital we do all we can to give the industry the best possible future and, subsequently, to create as many high skilled job opportunities as possible.” - 5 March 2021

Dehenna Davison MPVice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Video Games