Rockstar Games have released a statement to VG24/7 to address criticism they have had due to tax avoidance within the United Kingdom. A representative said in the statement:
“The UK’s program to support the growth of a broad range of creative industries through tax relief is a proven success. The program has directly resulted in Rockstar Games significantly increasing its investment in the UK, creating well over 1,000 highly skilled and long term jobs across London, Lincoln, Yorkshire and Scotland.
“This investment and the success of British video games supported by the program not only significantly contributes to the economy, and to UK tax receipts, but also helps solidify the UK’s position at the forefront of video game development well into the future,”
This stems from a report by an “investigative think tank” within the U.K called Tax Watch which found that despite earning $7.8 million from Grand Theft Auto V since 2014, the company has not paid any U.K. Corporate Tax and accounted for 37 percent of all claims made by the UK game industry video Games Tax Relief program in 2018 and 2019.
