UK coalition set to approve Games Tax Relief

Photo Credit: REX/AP

We’ve previously discussed, with the help of TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson, why the UK games industry needs a tax relief package. At last year’s London Games Conference, the Conservatives’ then – Shadow Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey dismissed the proposal of such a package, telling those gathered that they needed to think “more widely” than such an idea. Since then however, events have conspired to make its introduction seem considerably more likely.

In an amusing U turn, Vaizey told Develop on April 26^th that George Osborne MP, the then – Shadow Chancellor, supported such a tax relief package, forcing Vaizey himself to be quoted as saying “It is our policy to introduce game development tax breaks”. Just a few days later (April 30^th), the Liberal Democrats publicly declared support for such a move, going so far as to say that they would implement games tax relief “as soon as possible”. Labour had already announced Games Tax Relief on March 24^th which is why, incidentally, the other two prominent political parties felt the need to comment.

With Labour dethroned in the May election, the future of the tax relief package may have seemed unsure. Both parties in the new UK coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, however, have declared their support for the package within the last five weeks. Be assured that TIGA will remind the government of their promises…

To read TIGA’s comment on the new coalition in full, click here.

Written by Luke K

He plays lots of videogames, now and again stopping to write about them. He's the editor in chief at Critical Gamer, which fools him into thinking his life has some kind of value. He doesn't have a short temper. If you suggest otherwise, he will punch you in the face.