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Business News
Government launches consultation on tax relief for orchestras
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 26 January 2015
The Government is to introduce new tax relief for orchestras from April 2016, following a public consultation. So that’s good news. For orchestras.
Chancellor George Osborne first announced the move, which mirrors similar reliefs in theatre, film, videogames and animation, in his autumn statement last year, and now wants some help figuring out exactly how it might work. A consultation document published on Friday outlines proposals and calls from input in their implementation.
By manipulating the muscles in his face and throat, which always looks to be something of a feat of co-ordination for him, Osborne said: “I want to make sure our great orchestras continue to thrive. Our new tax relief will encourage orchestras to perform across the whole of the UK – helping secure the future of live performances in the UK”.
Unsurprisingly, Director of the Association of British Orchestras Mark Pemberton thought the move was top bollocks, saying: “We welcome the launch of the consultation. Tax relief will make a big difference to our members’ resilience in these challenging times, helping them to continue to offer the very best in British music-making to audiences both here in the UK and abroad”.
Details on how to respond the consultation are here.
