The media sector encompasses an unusually broad range of business models — production companies, publishers, broadcasters, digital content businesses, talent management, advertising, and licensing — each with its own financial characteristics and its own set of tax and accounting considerations. What they share is a tendency toward project-based revenue, intellectual property as a core asset, and income streams that can be irregular, multi-jurisdictional, and structured in ways that require careful professional handling.

We act for media businesses and individuals across a range of disciplines within the sector, and we bring to those engagements a practical understanding of how media businesses actually work: the contractual structures, the rights arrangements, the talent relationships, and the financing models that are specific to the industry. Our clients include production companies, content creators, agencies, and media entrepreneurs, and our involvement covers the full range of tax, accounting, and advisory services their businesses require.

Creative sector tax reliefs

The UK’s creative sector tax relief regime offers significant incentives to qualifying media businesses, and it is an area where the difference between a well-advised and a poorly-advised company can be considerable. Film Tax Relief, High-end Television Relief, Animation Tax Relief, Video Games Expenditure Credit, and the broader suite of creative industry reliefs each carry their own qualifying conditions, expenditure tests, and administrative requirements. We advise media clients on eligibility, structure projects to maximise the available relief, and manage the claims process with HMRC — ensuring that the benefit is captured in full and that the supporting documentation meets the standard required.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property is the currency of the media sector. How rights are owned, licensed, and exploited — and the tax treatment of income derived from them — has a direct bearing on the profitability and value of a media business. We advise on the structuring of IP ownership, the tax treatment of royalties and licensing income, and the implications of rights transfers and co-production arrangements. For media businesses with international reach, the interaction between UK tax rules and the treaties governing cross-border royalty flows adds a further layer of complexity that requires specialist attention.

Talent and personal service companies

Many individuals working in the media sector operate through personal service companies, and the tax and employment status questions that arise in this context are among the most actively scrutinised by HMRC. IR35 and the off-payroll working rules have created a complex landscape for both talent and the production companies and broadcasters that engage them. We advise individuals and businesses on both sides of those arrangements, providing clear guidance on status, structuring, and compliance — and, where HMRC raises a challenge, representing our clients robustly through the enquiry process.

Production financing and international co-productions

Media productions are frequently financed through a combination of broadcaster commissions, distribution advances, gap financing, and public funding — each element carrying its own accounting treatment and tax implications. International co-productions introduce additional considerations around withholding taxes, treaty relief, and the allocation of rights and revenues between jurisdictions. We work alongside media lawyers and production accountants to ensure that the financial and tax structure of a production is properly considered from the outset, and that the accounts and returns accurately reflect the economics of what has been put in place.

Contact us

To discuss how we can support your media business or personal affairs within the sector, please contact us. All initial conversations are in strict confidence and without obligation.