UK to refuse to grant games tax break

The Guardian reports that the UK Government is expected to reject including a tax break for the UK games industry in its Pre-Budget Report to be published today (the Pre-Budget Report has become in recent years one of the best indications as to the Government’s proposals for the next year’s budget – if it is in the Pre-Budget Report, chances are it will be in the next Budget too).

This is a bit of the shame, as other countries’ governments have really boosted their national games industries through tax breaks (akin to tax breaks for other creative industries such as film) – industry bodies such as TIGA and ELSPA had lobbied hard for a similar tax break for the games industry.  Still, it’s always possible that things might be different if a new government comes in after the general election next year.

Olswang has done a lot of work advising the industry on the proposed games tax break/how it could work, and has put together a Pre-Budget Report blog which they’ll be updating as the report comes out.  Here it is: http://olswangbudgetblog.wordpress.com/.