Tiga: Now industry must work to keep tax breaks

Tiga CEO Richard Wilson has warned developers and the wider industry that there will be a fight to hold on to tax breaks in future years.

Speaking at today’s Westminster Media Forum event looking at the UK games industry’s fortunes, Wilson, who heads up UK trade body Tiga, said that the country’s games sector must now work hard to keep the tax breaks that were announced at yesterday’s Budget address.

"The tax relief may not last forever," said Wilson. We have to demonstrate that the tax relief will really power the industry forward."

Wilson added that those employed in the games space must be vigilant in preventing other industries from moving to take tax breaks away.

"We must see that no other business or sector takes away our tax relief," he stated.

The Tiga boss also urged the UK games business to work to move as quickly as possible to get tax breaks implemented, arguing that for years the country’s development industry has been competing on an uneven playing field that favours countries such as Canada.

If the UK games space works hard, Wilson claimed, "the tax relief will more than pay for itself in five years".