Film and television reliefs to be merged

The government has launched a consultation on audio-visual reliefs namely: film tax relief (FTR) animation tax relief (ATR) high-end TV tax relief (HETV tax relief) children’s TV tax relief (CTR) and video games tax relief (VGTR).

The document acknowledges that much has changed since the introduction of the original film tax relief in 2007 and the creative industries are rapidly evolving reflecting new cutting-edge technology and demands from the public for ever higher quality content.

The aim of the reforms is to simplify and modernise the reliefs and ensure they boost growth in the audio-visual sectors while remaining fiscally sustainable. They include a proposal to merge the film and TV reliefs - FTR ATR HETV tax relief and CTR - into one tax credit scheme modernising the criteria for HETV tax relief and defining a documentary in legislation. The...