NMDC urges government to ensure new tax relief benefits the whole sector 3 Nov 2016

NMDC has responded to the HM Treasury consultation on proposals for a new tax relief for museum exhibitions. The scheme, announced in the 2016 Budget and based on the successful introduction of similar tax reliefs already in place for film, theatre and orchestras, aims to encourage the creation of more and higher quality exhibitions across the UK and increase public access to museum collections.

NMDC very much welcomes the proposed scheme which could be of significant value to museums and their audiences in a climate of declining public funding. However, initial proposals are for the relief to apply only to exhibitions lasting a year or less, meaning that many smaller museums without temporary exhibition spaces or a regularly changing exhibitions programme will be unable to benefit. In order to ensure the tax relief achieves its stated objectives and that the entire museum sector – and thus audiences all over the UK – are able to benefit, NMDC is urging government to remove the one year time limit on exhibitions.  NMDC response, HM Treasury