Tiga Lobbies Scottish Parliament For 20 Percent Tax Break

Ahead of a debate on Scottish game development, UK trade body Tiga urged the Scottish Parliament's support for a tax break. Scotland is home to a number of prominent development studios, including Rockstar North, Realtime Worlds and Denki, and also hosts Dundee's Abertay University, known for its games education courses and relationships with local developers. But Tiga CEO Richard Wilson says the industry in Scotland remains at a disadvantage. "Our principal competitors in Australia, Canada, China, France, South Korea, Singapore and the USA all receive national or regional/state tax breaks for games production," he says. "No tax breaks for games production exist in the UK. Tiga maintains that a 20 percent production credit would increase investment in the games industry by £220 million ($306 million) over five years, and create 1,600 jobs for grads. "Video game development is an industry of the future. It is export oriented, research intensive, inherently creative and the UK is a world leader," said Wilson. "Now is the time for the Scottish Parliament to send a powerful message to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget on April 22nd: claim this future industry for the UK by investing in a tax break for games development."