What sets us apart from most media accountants and tax advisors? Passion. We simply love the business and have a deep understanding of how it works. How else would we have secured more than £40m in tax refunds for our clients?
We’re here to help you make your production a success, find out more about how our specialists can help you with:
British Film Tax Certification
Children’s TV and Animation Tax Relief
Following the announcements in the 2024 Spring Budget there have been changes to creative industry tax incentives. Our team will add updated pages on the changes shortly.
Meanwhile a summary of the new rates and criteria is available here
If you have any questions on the changes please contact our media specialists.
Since then, we have built up an impressive portfolio, from cult niche productions to international Oscar winners. It is this experience that enables us to advise you on the finer financial intricacies, helping you achieve the success you deserve.
This was introduced as an incentive for the creative industries in the UK and has had a big effect on the number of films being made here. Film Tax Relief means production companies can claim a cash rebate of up to 25% of UK qualifying expenditure. In the last three years, the team at Alliotts has successfully applied for and secured around £40m for our clients. More
Filmmakers can qualify for beneficial tax breaks under the British Film Certification system. And at 25% of qualifying film production spend, it is certainly worth taking advantage of. We understand the rules and how the ‘Cultural Test’ works so can lead you through the process. More
If you create video games, there is an additional deduction you can make against your taxable profits. And if you’ve made a loss, it could even help you to get a tax credit. We can help you work out if your game qualifies for this tax relief and help you make a claim. More
To work out if your film is eligible to claim certain tax reliefs, we need to apply the ‘Cultural Test’. This is a complex area, but one that the team at Alliotts is experienced at navigating.
The Cultural Test is made up of four sections:
Content – location, language, nationality subject matter.
Contribution – creativity, culture and heritage.
Hubs – studio, location effects, music and post-production.
Practitioners – nationality of individuals involved in the film or its creation
A film only needs 18 points out of 35 to pass, so you only need to apply for the points you need. There are separate tests for documentaries and animation, and this process does not apply to co-productions.
Talk to us and we’ll explain the points available under each of these sections.
Animation and children’s television tax relief is available on qualifying UK core production expenditure on the lower of either 80% of the total core expenditure or the actual UK core expenditure incurred. More
High-end television tax relief is available on qualifying UK core production expenditure on the lower of either 80% of the total core expenditure or the actual UK core expenditure incurred.
There is no cap on the amount that can be claimed. More
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If you would like to talk to us about Media please contact David Gibbs or Samuel Ampah.
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David is an International Corporate Tax specialist. He has over 30 years’ experience in providing commercially focused tax advice and support to a wide range of clients, from technology start-ups to large inward investing corporates.
A qualified Chartered Accountant, David went on to qualify as a Chartered Tax Adviser and prior to joining Alliotts as a partner in 2014 he held the position of tax partner in Grant Thornton and subsequently in PwC.
David focuses on providing strategic tax advice to entrepreneurs and privately owned businesses. By investing time in understanding clients and their businesses he is able to provide advice which is practical and appropriate to clients’ circumstances in order to keep taxes to a sensible minimum. He advises on a wide range of taxes including transaction planning, UK outbound and inbound structuring, corporate tax, technology tax reliefs, investor and shareholder planning, capital gains tax and LLPs. David advises both UK and overseas business owners on international tax planning.
David also specialises in advising individuals and businesses in the media sector on UK film tax credits, video games tax reliefs and other creative sector tax incentives. He also advises on EIS and SEIS.
Samuel is a key member of Alliotts Media team, working with production companies and helping produce their accounts. He regularly presents at third party webinars and workshops on a range of areas of interest to media businesses, ranging from tax incentives, accounting and growing a business.
Samuel is a Trustee of Mama Youth Project and is a member of the Production Guild’s Diversity and Inclusion Group
As a member of our accounts team Samuel also works with a wide range of UK based and international clients across a variety of sectors. Samuel’s primary role involves delivering accounting, management reporting, VAT and cash flow reporting services to clients. By working closely with Alliotts partners the information Sam provides helps clients ensure that they remain compliant with their filing deadlines and have the financial data they need to make key decisions.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have Sam over to the NFTS for 2 years running to speak on a Marketing, Distribution, Sales & Exhibition Masters. He is great at talking through the financing side of things – particularly given the lack of experience that most of our students have in the industry. He is able to break things down and explain them in a much clearer and straightforward manner. He is extremely personable and is always a hit with the students.”
Poonam Sahota, National film and television school
“Samuel Ampah and the team at Alliotts could not be more helpful. From the earliest stages of closing, Sam has been readily available to any and all advisors on the show to explain and reassure on the criteria and complexities of the UK film tax credit specific to the needs of the production, going so far as to create his own spreadsheets to verify the producer’s calculations and responding. to every related query by return. As the legislation and HMRC guidelines evolve, it’s reassuring to know Alliotts is in front of developments adding the weight and wisdom of an experienced team of advisors. That Ian Gibbon is a genuine cinephile and Sam enthusiastic about the project’s potential impact only enhances the engagement. Thank you.”
Mary McGuckian, pembridge pictures.
“Samuel is a safe pair of hands, with a robust and thorough understanding of all areas of accounting and finance relating to the film sector. He’s also a great speaker, with a knack for putting clients at ease, and explaining (sometimes complex) financial strategies and considerations in a way that is both concise and accessible.”
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