Creative industry tax reliefs for Corporation Tax

Watch a video about how Creative Industry Tax reliefs work.

What are Creative Industry Tax Reliefs and how do they work?

Tax reliefs

The reliefs allow qualifying companies to:

• increase their amount of allowable expenditure
• reduce the amount of Corporation Tax the company needs to pay

Expenditure credits

The expenditure credits give qualifying companies a taxable credit based on your amount of allowable expenditure. 

This is used to pay off your Corporation Tax liability and can also be set against other tax liabilities.

Your company receives any remaining amount as a payable credit.

Who can claim

Your company can claim creative industry tax reliefs or expenditure credits if it’s:

• liable to Corporation Tax
• directly involved in the production and development of:
  • films
  • high-end television
  • children’s television
  • animated television
  • video games
  • theatrical productions
  • orchestral concerts
  • museum or gallery exhibitions
• actively involved with decision-making
• directly negotiates, contracts and pays for rights, goods and services

Your company must have responsibility throughout development, from the start of pre-production until the completion of the film, programme or game.

For theatrical productions, orchestral concerts or exhibitions, the company must be responsible for producing, running and closing the production.

Check if your company qualifies as the production company

Check now

Cultural test 

To qualify for creative industry tax reliefs, all films, television programmes or video games must be certified as British. They must pass a cultural test or qualify through an internationally agreed co-production treaty. 

The British Film Institute (BFI) manages certification and qualification on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The British Film Institute will issue:

• an interim certificate for uncompleted work
• a final certificate where production has finished

You can find more information about certification on the British Film Institute website.

Creative industry tax reliefs and expenditure credits

If your company qualifies as the production company and passes the cultural test (if applicable), you may be able to claim the following reliefs or expenditure credits on your Company Tax Return:Return. If you submit your return on or after 6 April 2026, you must include the CT600P Creative Industries supplementary page.

Read more about:

• Film Tax Relief
• Animation Tax Relief
• High-end Television Tax Relief
• Children’s Television Tax Relief
• Video Games Tax Relief
• Theatre Tax Relief
• Orchestra Tax Relief
• Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief
• Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit
• Video Games Expenditure Credit

Further information

AYou specialistcan unitfind withinmore HMRCinformation:

• by dealswatching videos withand claimswebinars forabout creative industryindustries taxexpenditure reliefscredits
• in andthe creative credits.industries expenditure credit manual

You can send your questions about claiming the reliefs to the Creative Industries Unit.