Game Developers double team Government for tax breaks

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 23 April 2008 05:45

IT Industry - Market

The Game Developers' Association of Australia (GDAA) is teaming up with their equivalents in Europe Tiga, to increase the calibre of the push for Federal government tax breaks in the industry.

The GDAA CEO Greg Bondar and Tiga CEO Dr Richard Wilson have got together in a mutual support group, with the aim to hold the Federal government to at least, considering tax relief for the burgeoning Australian games development industry.

“Australian and UK game developers can compete successfully against game developers across the globe when market conditions are fair. However, the scales are increasingly tipped against them when the governments of other countries, especially Canada, heavily subsidise their game developers”, said Bondar and Wilson.

 “With 300+ companies involved in the video game industry in Canada, some 56% are now developing proprietary technology due to the funding initiatives of the Canadian government”, it was pointed out by Bondar.

Tiga will assist the GDAA push for tax rebates by augmenting the argument with benefits that will flow on to the local economy and industry from such a restructure of the current situation.

Further details of the benefits and the GDAA’s push for a tax rebate can be found here .