Creative Tax Reliefs & the Additional Information Form (AIF)

If you're working in the creative industries and you're looking to claim Creative Tax Reliefs (CTR), things are getting a bit more formal from April 2024.

Following an increase in scrutiny from HMRC regarding R&D tax claims, and the subsequent introduction of additional information requirements, it seems that HMRC has extended the requirements to the creative industries, too.

You now need to submit an Additional Information Form (AIF) alongside your company’s tax return.

What is the AIF?

The AIF, or Additional Information Form, is a requirement alongside a company’s tax return if they intend to make a claim for creative industry tax credits. It has some basic company information, costing information and sections for supporting evidence.

The government introduced this requirement as an early sense check for eligibility. If HMRC investigates a claim for error or fraud, it starts with the information provided in the AIF. It also prevents companies from being taken advantage of by malicious agents, since only approved agents can submit a claim.

When does the AIF need to be submitted?

The AIF needs to be submitted on the same day as the company tax return (CT600) or earlier—but after the accounting period ends. No matter what, the AIF must be submitted before the tax return.

Your claim for creative industry tax relief has to be submitted within 2 years of the end of your accounting period (or 42 months from the beginning of your accounting period for periods longer than 18 months). So, you can submit your AIF anytime within this period too.

The requirement came into force on 1^st April 2024, for any claim submitted for creative tax reliefs, no matter the accounting period or scheme.

Missed the deadline? Don't panic – you’ll need to amend your tax return and resubmit the CT600, even if there’s no change. It's crucial to have all supporting evidence ready; otherwise, HMRC won’t process your claim.

If you didn’t submit an AIF and all supporting evidence before the CT600, your claim will be rejected by HMRC. They’ll let you know in writing if that happens.

Who can submit the AIF?

Only company representatives or authorised agents with Government Gateway access can submit the AIF. Each company needs its own separate account—group credentials won't work.

This means that unauthorised agents can’t make claims for companies without their knowledge, nor can they access the benefit a company could receive.

What needs to be included?

The AIF has eight sections, of which six are mandatory for the new Expenditure Credit schemes (available only to certain creative industries). The other two sections are for the older Creative Industry Tax Relief schemes.

The AIF needs information about the applicant (i.e., the person actually submitting the form) and the company, which shouldn’t be shocking. This will include the VAT registration number, PAYE reference number and Foreign Entertainer’s Unit (FEU) reference number, if you have one.

HMRC also needs to know how the credit will be used.

For each project, you need to tell HMRC the following information:

• the project or production name
• the start date of pre-production or active development
• the production status (ongoing, complete, abandoned)

Depending on the tax relief you’re trying to claim, you may need to give extra information, like the date of opening night or number of performances.

For each production, you’ll need to share details like the production's total costs, core expenses, and the amount of credit or relief being claimed. Since this has to be done for every single production, companies with multiple productions during a period will have a lot more information to provide. Connected costs will also need to be shared.

The form has areas where you can add in additional evidence, like your BFI certificate or your costing breakdown.

Save progress anytime, but finish within 28 days, or the draft gets deleted. Double-check everything before submission—once it’s in, you can’t edit. Need changes after submitting? Start fresh!

Each AIF only covers up to a 12-month period, so companies with extended accounting periods will need to submit two forms.

How can Myriad help?

Our team of dedicated creative tax advisors are available to help sift through your costs and make a strong and well-supported claim. We’re there at every step of the way, from the BFI application to the submission to HMRC.

Our team has extensive experience in complex creative tax relief cases and can give you the peace of mind to focus on your project, knowing that your tax savings are in safe hands.

Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help.