Museums & Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief :
Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief (MGETR) is a government funding incentive currently worth up to 40% of core production costs. MGETR helps qualifying production companies offset some of the costs of their exhibitions, supporting new collections reaching wider audiences.
MGETR is a valuable funding opportunity for museums and galleries, helping them create engaging exhibitions for the public.
MGETR supports museums and galleries to develop new permanent and temporary exhibitions for the benefit of the general public.
Unlike some other creative tax reliefs, there is no requirement for certification via a cultural test. However, MGETR is only available to charities or local authorities.
Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief is currently worth up to 40% of production costs.
Qualifying companies can claim MGETR on the whichever is lower:
MGETR can be claimed as a reduction in Corporation Tax credit. However, loss-making companies can surrender their losses for a cash credit.
Current cash credit rates:
From 1 April 2024, only UK costs are eligible.
Primary and secondary production companies can claim for MGETR, so long as they meet the basic requirements.
To qualify, your company must meet the following conditions:
For more details on primary and secondary production companies, check out our FAQs.
You’ll need to check that your production qualifies, too.
The first thing to check is that your exhibition is a curated display of a collection (or of a single object) considered to be of scientific, historic, artistic or cultural interest.
The exhibition must be intended to be open to the general public, irrespective of admission charge.
At least 25% of your core production expenditure is within the UK and/or European Economic Area (EEA). From 1 April 2024, a new rule replaces this condition: 10% of expenditure must be in the UK.
Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief is claimed as part of the Company Tax Return (CT600) filed with HMRC. You’ll need to elect to treat all costs related to the exhibition as a separate trade.
You need to submit the following information alongside the CT600:
You’ll need to calculate if your exhibition has made a profit or a loss. This lets you determine whether you can claim MGETR as a reduction in Corporation Tax or if your losses should be surrendered for a cash repayment.
To claim the higher rate for touring exhibitions, your exhibition must:
The key to when core costs can be claimed is knowing when the project was “green-lit”. Initial concept design is usually undertaken to determine whether the exhibition is commercially feasible. Any expenditure in this stage is speculative in nature.
Once it is clear that the exhibition is going ahead, expenditure can be claimed. Some production companies may have very little conceptual development before proceeding with production, and some may spend more time assessing the commercial viability of an exhibition.
Qualifying costs are referred to as core expenditure. This includes the spending on:
Storage expenditure is allowed as core expenditure for up to 4 months if all of these conditions are met:
Core expenditure does not include:
The Primary Production Company (PPC) is responsible for organising an exhibition at the first (if touring) or only venue (if not touring). It must also be responsible for creative and technical decisions, contractual agreements, and producing, running and closing the exhibition at this venue.
A Secondary Production Company (SPC) is responsible for organising an exhibition at the second or subsequent venues for a touring exhibition. It must be responsible for producing, running and closing the exhibition at that venue.
A SPC can only make a claim if there is a PPC.
The maximum repayable credit is capped at £100,000 for touring exhibitions and £80,000 for non-touring exhibitions.
There is no cap on the amount that can be claimed as a reduction in Corporation Tax.
Some exhibitions may meet the qualifying criteria, but are not eligible if they meet any of the below conditions:
Core expenditure must be apportioned on a “fair and reasonable basis". There are multiple ways you can define this, depending on the cost. You may wish to explain your methodology to HMRC to ensure you meet this criterion.
As with core and non-core expenditure, you will need to apportion UK/EEA and non-UK/EEA expenditure. Workers based in a UK/EEA office or working remotely in the UK/EEA can be included, for example, but workers physically outside of the UK/EEA are ineligible. This applies regardless of where the company is based, the worker’s nationality or whether the company is in a group with the claimant.
For some costs that are partly based in the UK/EEA, you can choose how to apportion the cost. For example, a staff member who works partly in the UK/EEA will only be eligible for the number of days they are working there.
For accounting periods beginning before 1 April 2024, you may make your claim up to one year after the company’s filing date.
For accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024, you may make your claim up to 2 years after the end of the period of account.
Step 1 of #
Is your business registered for Corporation Tax in the UK or are you a partnership with corporate owners?
Have you developed new or improved existing products, processes or services in the last 2 accounting periods?
Does your business have fewer than 500 staff, and either: A turnover of no more than €100 million; or Gross assets of no more than €86 million?
Sorry, you must be a UK limited company or be a Partnership with corporate owners to be eligible for R&D tax credits.
In order to qualify for R&D tax credits you must be seeking to advance science or technology within your industry. As you’ve not developed any new or improved any existing innovative tools, products or services, and not re-developed any existing products, processes or services in the last 2 years. It is unlikely you have any qualifying activity. If you’re unsure, email or call us and we’ll help clarify.
In order to claim R&D tax credits, you need to either employ staff or spend money on contractors, consumable items and other items. If you’re unsure, email or call us and we’ll help clarify.
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Congrats!! Based on your previous answers, you will qualify for the SME scheme. If you’d like some help maximising and securing your claim, please email or call us.
Congrats!! Based on your previous answers, you will qualify for the RDEC scheme. If you’d like some help maximising and securing your claim, please email or call us.
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