HMRC Release Latest Statistics for Creative Industries Tax Reliefs

HMRC's latest creative industries statistics, published on 17 September 2026, show £2.45 billion paid across the creative tax reliefs and expenditure credits for the 2024-25 financial year, up from £2.28 billion the year before. That's an increase of around £170 million, driven by film, video games and museums and galleries, despite a fall in high-end television and children's television.

The release is also the first to break out the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC) separately, which makes it the clearest picture yet of how the new credits are replacing the old reliefs.

These statistics are not yet final, as more claims will be submitted retrospectively for the 2024-2025 period.

What do the 2024-25 figures show?

HMRC reports the numbers on an accruals basis, so each claim is allocated to the financial year in which the claimant's accounting period ends.

Across all eight sectors, 4,140 companies made 5,300 claims covering 11,630 projects. The table below shows how the relief was spread.

Film reached an all-time high, and HMRC links part of that rise to increased uptake of the new expenditure credits. Video games grew 18%, with mid- to high-value claims of £100,000 to £2 million driving the increase. Children's TV fell 46% because there were fewer high-value claims.

The cumulative totals put those annual figures in context. Since it began in 2007, Film Tax Relief has paid out £7.108 billion across 4,550 films. HETV relief has paid £5.878 billion across 1,965 programmes since 2013, and video games relief £2.273 billion across 3,685 games since 2014.

How much is now paid through AVEC and VGEC?

Previously, claims made through the individual tax relief incentives: Film Tax Relief, High-End Television Tax Relief, Children’s Tax Relief and Animation Tax Relief. Now, in an effort to simplify the schemes, all films and TV shows can now be claimed through the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, although the old incentives remain open until March 2027. Video games can equally be claimed through the Video Games Expenditure Credit instead of the Video Games Tax Relief scheme.

The sector figures include both the old reliefs and the new expenditure credits. HMRC's £702 million for film, for example, covers Film Tax Relief, AVEC Film and AVEC Independent Film together.

Claims through AVEC accounted for £1.297 billion of the 2024-25 total:

• Film: £515 million
• Independent film: £57 million
• High-end TV: £670 million
• Animation: £31 million
• Children's TV: £24 million

VGEC accounted for £116 million across 210 claims. That means AVEC made up around three quarters of the film and TV tax claims, and VGEC made up roughly 29% of the video games total. HMRC describes a substantial increase in AVEC claims, and to a lesser extent VGEC claims, compared with the old reliefs.

Which companies are claiming tax relief?

The figures show how concentrated the relief is in a small number of large claims.

In film, 3% of claims were above £5 million, yet they accounted for 67% of the relief paid. In orchestra, the 12% of claims above £250,000 accounted for 85% of relief. At the other end of the scale, 49% of high-end TV claims were £250,000 or below, and together they made up just 3% of high-end TV relief.

For smaller productions and studios, that picture cuts both ways. Most of the money goes to large productions, but claims of every size are being paid. In video games, it was mid-value claims of £100,000 to £2 million that drove the growth.

What has happened to theatre, orchestra and museum claims?

HMRC states that the temporary rate increases introduced in 2021 substantially raised theatre relief values, and that the 37% rise in Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief (with 39% more claims) reflected higher relief rates. Orchestra relief rose 25%.

These figures cover accounting periods ending by 31 March 2025, so they pre-date the lower permanent rates. For accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2025, Theatre Tax Relief is 45% for touring productions and 40% for non-touring productions, and Orchestra Tax Relief is 45%. Our earlier article on how the creative sector tax reliefs are working out covers the rate changes in full.

What do the figures mean for your claim?

There are two practical points to take from the release.

The first is timing of the data. HMRC notes a lag, because companies have a year after the end of their accounting period to file their Corporation Tax return and a further year to make, withdraw or amend a claim. The data was collected up to 3 August 2026, so the figures for the most recent years reflect the claims made so far rather than a final total.

The second is the transition deadline. Productions that began on or after 1 April 2025 must claim under the expenditure credits, and all productions must claim the expenditure credits from 1 April 2027. The existing reliefs for film, HETV, children's TV, animation and video games continue until 31 March 2027. If you have a production or game still claiming under the old rules, that leaves about six months to plan the move.

Key takeaways

• £2.45 billion was paid in 2024-25. That's up from £2.28 billion, with film, video games and museums and galleries driving the rise.
• AVEC now makes up three quarters of the film and TV claims. HMRC's first breakdown of the expenditure credits shows how fast the shift from the old reliefs is happening.
• Relief is concentrated in larger claims. However, mid-value claims of £100,000 to £2 million drove the growth in video games.
• The 2024-25 figures pre-date the lower permanent rates. Theatre, orchestra and museum claims benefited from the higher temporary rates throughout the period.
• The old reliefs end on 31 March 2027. All productions must claim the expenditure credits from 1 April 2027.
• Claims of every size are being paid. That includes the many below £250,000, so the scale of your production isn't a reason to hold back from claiming.

If you're planning a claim, or working out when to move a production to the expenditure credits, contact Myriad to discuss your specific situation.