Creative industry tax reliefs

Creative industry tax reliefs are a group of eight Corporation Tax reliefs that allow qualifying companies to claim a larger deduction, or in some circumstances claim a payable tax credit when calculating their taxable profits.

These reliefs are:

• Film Tax Relief (FTR)
• Animation Tax Relief (ATR)
• High-end Television Tax Relief (HTR)
• Children's Television Tax Relief (CTR)
• Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR)
• Theatre Tax Relief (TTR)
• Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR)
• Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief (MGETR)

These reliefs work by increasing the amount of allowable expenditure. Where your company makes a loss, you may be able to 'surrender' the loss and convert some or all of it into a payable tax credit.

Qualifying for creative industry tax reliefs

To qualify for creative industry tax reliefs, your company must be liable to Corporation Tax and directly involved in the production and development of:

• certain films
• high-end and children’s television programmes
• animation programmes
• video games
• theatrical productions
• orchestral concerts
• museum or gallery exhibitions

If you produce films, television programmes, animations or video games, you must also pass a cultural test or qualify through an internationally agreed co-production treaty. Formal certification that the production is a British film, programme or game is required to qualify.

The British Film Institute offers more guidance on the cultural test, certification and qualification.

A specialist unit within HMRC deals with most claims for creative industries tax reliefs. You can send your questions about claiming the reliefs to the Creative Industry Unit.

Find detail guidance on the creative industry tax reliefs.