Chancellor George Osborne has called on producers to bang the drum internationally for UK creative industries tax credits, at the official launch event today.
Speaking at Bafta this morning, he said: “In the last couple of months I have personally met people from Disney, people from Warner Bros, people from HBO and have been passionately selling what the UK now has to offer.
“I would ask you to join with me in that effort, through all your contacts, with all the people around the world. Go and tell them the good news the UK has now one of the most competitive tax regimes for the creative industries – this is the place to do your new hit TV show, this is the place to do your new animation.”
The Chancellor who announced tax credits for high end TV, animation and video games in his budget ni April, said he wants the UK to be top of the list for productions.
He said the tax credits were an “opportunity for all of us to make a concerted effort to go and sell this around the world.
“If we collectively send out the message [of a competitive tax system for the creative industries] to the world, the world will notice”, he added.
“We know that in the boardrooms of great entertainment companies they sit there and work out whether they are going to go to a particular US state or go to Canada or European location. I want UK to be at the top of that list and from what I’ve heard actually now we have every chance”.
He said the creative industries “are one of the most successful exportable industries that we have in a fiercely competitive global race”, adding, that £1 of every £10 exported is done by the creative industries.
The official launch event for the tax breaks was also attended by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, and UK Trade and Investment chief executive Nick Baird.
No comments yet