News
The Times gets behind UK tax breaks
Tim Ingham May 20 2008, 3:21pm
Comments (1)
National newspaper’s business commentator sticks up for UK studios’ right to financial incentives
UK development studios' wish to secure Canadian-style tax breaks has been given a boost – by an unlikely source.
The Times newspaper sticks up for the cause of UK creative talent in its latest business commentary – criticising the government for ignoring the sector whilst bringing in advantageous measures for the film industry.
The article discusses a deluge of lobby groups approaching Chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday.
It pays particular reference to Tiga’s anger over the announcement that Georgia is to enact new tax break legislation for entertainment companies – as reported by MCV sister site Develop last week.
Business commentator David Wighton writes:
‘No wonder other lobby groups think it’s worth trying it on to see if Mr Darling will blink again.
Yesterday it was the turn of the computer games industry to warn that the playing field was being tilted away from Britain.
‘To suggest that new tax breaks being offered by the US state of Georgia represent a big threat to the British games industry may be a bit over the top. But the industry can argue that it is not treated fairly, particularly in relation to the film industry. The more glamorous movie makers have been very generously assisted by the Government. Indeed, when the Prime Minister was at the Treasury he took a personal interest in measures to encourage film production in Britain.
‘Yet, the British computer games industry is arguably more successful than the film industry. Just look at the British-developed Grand Theft Auto IV, the biggest grossing computer game ever. And computer games development is one of the most footloose industries around. A few smart lads with some computer kit can skip off to a more welcoming regime even more easily than an insurance company.’
Comments
“why not?”
Posted by: ka0znrky - May 21, 1:45pm
It seems a bit wasted to try and help the film industry when the majority of the big money films are made acroos the pond. Games however are a different matter with many of the big IPs being UK based such as Lara Croft (Eidos).
It seems like in the gaming scene UK companies can more than hold their own against companies like nintendo and EA when it comes to game development and as these tax breaks are basically the government investing our money it would get a much bigger return if it got the money to the right people.