Theatre Tax Relief (TTR)

Company Eligibility

 

To be qualifying, both the company and the programme will need to meet some conditions.

 

The company must be a Theatrical Production Company (TPC). To qualify as a TPC the company must:

 

• be liable* to UK corporation tax;

• be responsible for producing, running and closing the production;

• be actively engaged in decision-making during the production, running and closing phases;

• make an effective creative, technical and artistic contribution to the production, and

• directly negotiate contracts and pay for rights, goods and services in relation to the production.

 

*Not for profit and charitable organisations with qualifying productions may also avail of this relief.

 

 

Theatrical Productions

 

To qualify, the production must:

 

• be theatrical production with performers to give their performances wholly or mainly through the playing of roles;

• each performance in the proposed run of performances is to be live;

• be intended to be performed live to paying members of the general public or for educational purposes; and

• at least 25% of the core expenditure must be European Economic Area (EEA) expenditure.

 

Productions which do not qualify include:

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• main purposes, or one of the min purposes is to advertise or promote any goods or services;

• the performances include a competition of contest;

• a wild animal is used in any performance

• the production is of a sexual nature

• the main purpose, or one of the main purposes is to make a recording

• the production is for training purposes

 

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Type of Production

 

Different rates of relief are available with touring productions availing of higher rates of relief on surrender of losses. The production can qualify as touring where at the outset:

 

• performances will be at six or more separate premises; or

• at least two separate premises with at least 14 performances.

 

All other productions will be non-touring, including those where the production was not intended to be touring at the outset.

 

 

Qualifying Expenditure

 

The all-important spend that can be enhanced is core expenditure as:

 

• producing the production

• exceptional running costs, and

• closing the production.

 

Core expenditure does not include costs relating to developing the production, ordinary running costs, exploiting the production or non-productions activities such as financing, marketing, legal services or storage.

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