Tax incentives will boost Australian theatre investment, says LPA

A similar UK scheme has been described as a 'lifeline' for theatre productions post-COVID.
LPA's proposed Live Theatre Tax Offset would support the presentation of works like 'Groundhog Day the Musical', which is now playing at Melbourne's Princess Theatre, Photo: Visit Victoria. Photo of the cast performing in ‘Groundhog Day’ musical. At the centre is a character with brown skin, long curly brown hair who appears to be singing.

Live Performance Australia (LPA), the peak body for the live arts and entertainment industry, has called on the Albanese Government to introduce a scheme similar to the highly successful Theatre Tax Relief initiative in the UK in order to boost the Australia theatre industry.

In the UK, the tax initiative has been described as a ‘lifeline’ for UK theatre productions and films with a budget of less than GB£15 million (AU$29 million).

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts