ELSPA and TIGA partner for tax breaks

Britain’s two pivotal game trade associations are to team up in a bid to breathe new life into the campaign for game tax breaks.

Both TIGA and ELSPA have formed a Steering Committee – purpose built for the UK tax relief campaign.

An official statement read: The committee will address the issue of why the coalition government withdrew the provision for games tax relief in the emergency budget.”

The body will also review TIGA’s original submission for games tax relief, with a view to further enhancing the arguments”.

TIGA CEO Richard Wilson said: The games industry and policymakers know that the UK does not operate on a level playing field and we are seeing jobs and investment move abroad to countries that offer specific games tax breaks.”

ELSPA UNANIMOUS
The formation of the Steering committee was formed on Friday last week during a key ELSPA board meeting.

A statement released by ELSPA states that those present at the board meeting had unanimously agreed to positively support TIGA and UK developers’ desire to gain tax breaks for the production of qualifying videogames and interactive entertainment products”.

Present at the meeting were some of the biggest publishers in the world, each declaring to throw their weight behind the key industry initiative.

505 Games, Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, Mastertronic, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix and Warner Brothers were unanimous in their decision to support TIGA’s campaign.

All involved will look to improve and amplify existing shouts from the industry.

The full report can be found on Develop