OTR20039 - Orchestra Tax Relief: how to make a claim: Company tax return

Claims for the Creative Industries Tax Reliefs听can only be made through Corporation Tax Self-Assessment (CTSA).

This means that claims must be made in reference to an accounting period, and a company must file a Company Tax Return with HMRC (form CT600). The return must be accompanied by the company鈥檚 accounts for the accounting period.听

Claims can be made either in an original return or via an amendment to a return. However, claims must be made digitally through the online Corporation Tax gateway (188体育).听Claims in any other format (e.g. via email) will not be accepted.听

The date of the claim is the date that the tax return is filed to HMRC. However, the claim will only be valid if all the mandatory information and the additional听information form have been supplied, either prior to or on the same day as the return is filed.听

If there is mandatory information missing when the return is filed, or the information form has not been submitted, then the claim is invalid and HMRC will amend the return to remove the claim.听

If the missing information or form is submitted听after the date the return is filed, then the company鈥檚 tax return must be amended and the claim re-submitted (even if no changes are required听to the CT600), in order for听it to be recognised as a valid claim by HMRC. The date of the claim will be the date of the amendment.听

To make a claim, the 鈥業nformation about enhanced expenditure鈥� section of the CT600 must be completed. The default online filing service (CATO) will not have access to this section, so specialist software is required. A list of recognised suppliers that provide software for tax returns and supplementary pages is available at Corporation Tax: commercial software suppliers (188体育).听Questions about the software being used should be directed to the software or service provider.听

The boxes on the CT600 relevant to claims for creatives reliefs or credits are as follows:听

  • 540 Creatives tax credit听

  • 545 Amount claimed听

  • 570 Amount payable

  • 650 SME or creatives claim

  • 658 Creatives additional information form

  • 663 Creatives core expenditure

  • 665 Creatives qualifying expenditure and/or additional听deduction听

  • 670 Enhanced expenditure听

  • 885 Payable creatives tax credit听

The numbers refer to CT600 Version 3.听听

Full guidance on how to complete the entirety of the CT600 is available in the Company Tax Return guide (188体育).


  • 540 Creatives tax credit听

This should be the total amount of any creatives tax credits that the company is claiming for the period. It is the amount before any set offs听or surrenders,听not the final payable amount.听听

  • 545 Amount claimed (鈥淭otal of Research and Development credit and creative tax credit鈥�)听

This is the amount of any creatives credits plus any R&D credits.听
听

  • 570 Amount payable (鈥淪urplus Research and Development credits or creative tax credit听payable鈥�)听

This is the figure in box 545 minus the figure in 525. 0 should be entered if the result is negative.听

  • 650 SME or creatives claim

Companies need to put a tick this box if they have put a tick in box 658.

  • 658 Additional creatives form

Some software may not support this box.

This box is a check box to confirm that the company has completed an additional information form (OTR20030) before submitting their CT600.

This box is a reminder to companies to complete an additional information form before submitting their claim. The form is still required as part of a valid claim, even if the company doesn鈥檛 tick this box.

  • 663 Creatives core expenditure

Some software may not support this box.

This is the total amount of the company's core expenditure for the period.听If the company is claiming听in respect of multiple productions, the core expenditure听for each should be added together to give the total for this box.

  • 665 Creatives qualifying expenditure and/or additional听deduction (formerly 鈥淐reative听enhanced expenditure鈥�)听

This is the total amount of the company鈥檚 additional听deduction(s) for the period.听If the company is claiming听in respect of multiple productions, the additional听deduction for each should be added together to give the total for this box.
听

  • 670 Enhanced expenditure听(鈥淩esearch and Development and creative enhanced expenditure鈥�)听

This is the sum of box 665 and any R&D enhanced expenditure amounts that the company is also claiming.听
听

  • 885 Payable creatives tax credit听

This is the final amount of tax credit payable in relation to all Creative Industries Tax Reliefs, after all other surrenders or discharges.听

It is the full amount of the tax credit(s) included in box 540 less any credit used to set off amounts owed by the company to HMRC.听

Payments will be made to the bank details supplied on the CT600 in boxes 920-940.