NEWS FLASH: GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED THEATRE PRODUCTIONS TAX RELIEF

[Administration UK Youth Circus Network]

APOLOGIES FOR ANY CROSS POSTING

Dear Colleague,

 

I hope that this email finds you well.

 

I am writing to you about the Government’s proposed tax relief on “theatre productions” which you may have heard about in the last budget and subsequent reports in the trade press.

 

George Osborne has proposed that this relief will encourage theatre production across the whole of the UK and provide strong incentive for touring productions, he has also stated that the ”relief will be available for a wide range of theatre and performance, supporting plays, musicals, opera, ballet and dance”.

 

As you can see Circus is conspicuous by its absence and I am sure that you will agree that we must lobby hard to change this.

 

Below is the link to the government’s consultation on their proposal.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/theatre-tax-relief

 

Attached is the draft response to the consultation that the National Centre for Circus Arts is intending to submit before the deadline of 8^th May. We have worked with our auditors Kingston Smith on this and they have advised us on the more technical areas.

 

I would be incredibly grateful if you could read our response and let me have any comments or suggestions as to how we might beef up our argument and make the case stronger.

 

I would then strongly urge you to submit your own response (and we are more than happy for you to copy our answers if you want to) and send it in to the government before the deadline.

 

I think that the really key issue is getting Circus included in the definition of performance and the more of us who make a noise insisting that this should be part of the definition the greater chance we have of getting Treasury to amend the list to include us.

 

Please circulate this far and wide to all of the Circus community and encourage as many people as possible to respond.

 

If you would like any further information about this please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

 

I look forward to working with you all to secure this benefit for Circus.

 

Best wishes

 

Jane

 

 

 

Jane Rice-Bowen

Joint Chief Executive

020 7613 8223

www.nationalcircus.org.uk

Coronet Street London N1 6HD 

National Centre for Circus Arts. Registered Charity no. 1001839

Company limited by guarantee: Registered in England no. 2553293