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Nicholas Lovell
Home   >   Analysis and Opinion   >   Opinion   >   Are tax breaks value for money?

Are tax breaks value for money?

By on June 6, 2012

On Monday this week, while most of the UK was celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and republicans commiserated with each other that support for the abolition of the monarchy has fallen from 18% of the population (where it has been pretty steadily for 20 years) to 13%, I was on the radio.

Episode image for Is the British film industry value for money?

BBC Radio 4′s You and Yours asked the question whether the British film industry was value for money, and wheeled out many speakers in support of the UK film industry. I was asked to explain my concerns about tax breaks in general and ones aimed at creative industries in particular.

The BBC very kindly left my interview almost entirely intact. I think it is one of my more succinct arguments, so if you are interested, go and listen.

The counter-arguments basically seem to be “but France and Canada have tax breaks, so we should have them.”

Did I convince you? Can you make the positive counter-arguments to my piece?

About Nicholas Lovell

As well as founding Gamesbrief, Nicholas is a consultant to the games industry on online and corporate strategy and financial matters. He can be contacted at nicholas@gamesbrief.com Following a decade long financial career in the City of London, Nicholas founded Lodestar Partners, a corporate finance boutique that focused exclusively on the games industry. From 2006 to 2008, Nicholas was CEO of GameShadow, a games website and patching engine. He is a non-executive director of developer nDreams and provides consultancy services to a number of companies including Firefly and Huddle.
  • Sik

    I have no time to listen to that, but here’s my opinion: tax breaks should be there only for small developers (and especially those who are just starting up), since they’re the ones who really could need some help, while big companies should pay full taxes, no exception. Plain and simple.

    And yes, I’m opposed to tax breaks just for the sake of tax breaks. Giving a tax break just because one makes games (regardless of who is it) is absurd.

  • valron

    Evan Davies conduct throughout the Today interview with the lady from PWC was outrageous. The lady was only able to get two or three words out before Davies was overriding her to the extent we never got to hear what she had to say. I know some Welsh have a reputation for being garrulous, but the interview was ruined. Play it back to yourself , Evan, & then you’ll see what I mean.!!