Tag Archives: tax breaks

The European Commission will continue to offer a 20% tax rebate to French developers who can demonstrate their games have cultural significance

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UK chancellor George Osborne has just announced tax breaks for the UK games development industry as part of his ongoing budget.

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This weekend’s on dit is a report exposing gaming companies’ access to substantial tax breaks in the US – making particular note of EA.

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Government-supported tax breaks are just one of the ways EA is able to continue investing in EA Canada, said EA Sports SVP Andrew Wilson.

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TIGA has said the Scottish videogames industry is at a “cross roads” , and if it didn’t get some much needed tax breaks, the sector could decline.

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Labour leadership candidate Ed Balls has visited Dundee following Realtime World’s administration and he’s claimed the cancelled tax breaks for the UK games industry are the cause of the company’s failure.

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Realtime Worlds studio boss Colin Macdonald’s told VG247 he believes the UK Government’s games trade tax break announcement in yesterday’s budget is a “shrewd” one.

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Just Add Water head Stewart Gilray has described news of impending UK games dev tax breaks as “fantastic,” while TIGA boss Richard Wilson has said the Labour move is “inspired”.

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The clock just stopped. UK Chancellor Alastair Darling just confirmed that the UK games development industry is to get tax breaks.

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The UK Government does not plan to provide tax relief to the country’s games industry, it was revealed today.

According to the Guardian, Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report does not include measures providing tax breaks despite the sector pumping more money into the economy than the region’s film industry.

TIGA claims that this failure to introduce tax breaks will result in the sector’s decline, but at the same time, commended the government for its predicted £10 million investment in gaming centers of excellence in Dundee and Manchester – which are expected to create 30 new companies and 400 new jobs within three years.

More through CVG.

Louisiana’s decided to award games companies in the state a tax break of 25 percent.

ESA’s welcomed the move.

“We commend Governor Jindal for his strong leadership as well as that of Senator Duplessis for expanding the state’s computer and videogame development and production base, and helping lead the way in creating the next generation of entertainment innovation in Louisiana,” said ESA boss Michael Gallagher.

“Developers and publishers live and work for years in states where games are created, providing a higher return on investment than any form of entertainment.”

More at GI.

UK Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said in a question and answer session on “Digital Britain” yesterday that more tax breaks are in the pipeline for the UK industry.

“We do recognise the importance of the video games industry to the British economy,” he said.

“Research and development tax credits are available for the industry, and we are looking at introducing further tax breaks.”

Bradshaw also said that he’s now tackling the “issue of classification” regarding games, and is preparing to make “other announcements” on the trade in general.

Read the full transcript through there.

The British Conservative Party’s issued a withering attack on Gordon Brown’s cabinet for failing the UK games industry after the WTO failed to uphold claims of unfair business practices by the Canadian Government.

“The Government’s strategy for videogames has been shown to be nothing more than a sham,” said Ed Vaizey MP, shadow videogames spokesman. “For months, whenever we have pressed the Government for action, they have used the excuse that the issue had been referred to the WTO. Now they no longer have this excuse.

“As the games industry itself says, the Government now ‘stands naked, bereft of a credible fiscal policy with which to support the sector,’” he added.

Canadian tax breaks are at the root of all the bother, incentives, the UK games trade says, that are causing a decline in the British industry.

“The Government must act now to support an industry that is world-beating, job-creating and at the heart of our creative industries,” continued Vaizey.

“After nine reviews of the creative industries, and eight more in the pipeline, the Government’s dithering has now been exposed as causing real damage.”

The State of Texas has decided that February 3 will from here on out be known as Entertainment Software Day.

The event’s been created to pay homage to the impact the videogame industry has had on the state’s economy.

In 2006 the games trade grew 16 percent in the Lone Star State says GamesIndustry.biz, and added $395 million to the economy. To help this figure grow even more, in 2007 the state legislature passed a bill in which provides tax rebates to videogame companies.

According to the ESA’s Michael D Gallagher, “These lawmakers are helping grow our industry as we work to create new jobs for Texans; boost the state’s economy; and help discover new ways computer and videogames can improve the ways Americans live, work and play.”

See, Texas isn’t all guns and cattle drives after all.

Following the introduction of a French tax break for games developers, the British Government said in a statement today that it is seriously looking into providing a similar environment for UK developers.

“The Government must be mindful of the need to ensure fair competition and value for money for tax payers whilst ensuring that any tax incentives are supported by evidence,” said a spokesperson. “The Government is conscious of the recent approval of a cultural tax relief for games in France and is working with the UK industry to collect and review the evidence for introducing such a credit in the UK.”

This is the first clear indication that the UK’s Government is taking proper note of dogged lobbying from Paul Jackson and ELSPA on the issue.

Read the full statement after the break.

Thanks for the heads-up, George.

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