OTR service provides £0.5 million in extra income

Making Music helps leisure-time instrumental groups claim £500,000 with OTR scheme

Making Music, the UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music, are delighted to announce that since setting up an Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) service in 2019, we have been able to support our instrumental member groups with claiming half a million pounds on their production costs from HMRC, helping groups put money back into running costs.

OTR is a government initiative that aims to support instrumental and orchestral productions in the UK. This means instrumental groups could receive a payment from HMRC equal to a percentage of their production costs. Making Music’s OTR service helps groups, who may not have the financial knowledge or expertise or who face a lack of time or tight budgets, to get set up to make a claim from HMRC.

Maidstone Symphony Orchestra said:

'These extra funds directly impact on the decisions we are able to make regarding repertoire for the orchestra and means we can budget for larger scale/in copyright works. More exciting and varied concerts for our audience and more interesting works for the orchestra…'

Leisure-time music groups are a valuable part of the wider music sector, as they create opportunities for people to make or participate in music in their local communities. The money recouped from OTR is vital extra support, and can be reinvested by these groups to help them thrive and continue to provide a greater variety and quantity of performances.

Barbara Eifler, Chief Executive of Making Music, said:

'Making Music is delighted to have helped leisure-time music groups claim Orchestra Tax Relief which enables them to create more performances for their communities up and down the UK. In particular, the enhanced tax relief introduced during Covid has made a real difference which we hope the government will continue to offer.'

We believe in the value of leisure-time music and seek to empower and facilitate a wide variety of groups through practical support, opportunities and events. For more information please visit our website.

For more information contact press@makingmusic.org.uk

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Making Music
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Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies. 
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632.
Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849

Notes to editors

Since 1935, Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We now represent over 4,000 groups of around 2280,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their group so they can get on with making music! makingmusic.org.uk
 
Modelled on Theatre Tax Relief and Film Tax Relief, HMRC’s Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) came into effect on 1 April 2016. This cultural incentive encourages the number and diversity of orchestral concerts in the UK, something of particular relevance to Making Music’s members, 31% of which classify themselves as instrumental. If a group puts on events featuring twelve or more instrumentalists who are the main focus of the performance, then you can potentially claim OTR.