Call to add 'voice' as an instrument under the Orchestra Tax Relief

Almost 40 major music sector organisations, networks and individuals are calling for ‘voice’ to be added to the eligible instruments, so that choirs can claim Orchestra Tax Relief. 

Created in 2016, Orchestra Tax Relief has made it possible for many orchestras and other kinds of unamplified music groups to produce more work, engage more professionals and commission new work, enabling more participants and audiences to experience the joy of live music performance. The Government recently recognised the importance of this tax relief and its impact on the music industry by announcing a permanent higher rate of 45%. 

The success of Orchestra Tax Relief, however, has highlighted that choirs, whether professional or hobbyist, are not able to access this support. This is holding back the growth of this sector which makes a significant contribution to music professionals’ portfolio careers, creating work for around 30,000 choir leaders, composers and singers every year, with potential for more. 

Choirs have also been found to support participants’ physical and mental well-being, benefit them socially and educationally, as well as acting as connectors in their communities and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities each year.

Evidence shows that tax relief translates into more ambitious and larger-scale programming, more professionals engaged and commissioned, greater community reach, increased venue hires and growth in the night-time economy. 

The sector is, therefore now calling for Orchestra Tax Relief to be extended to include ‘voice’ as one of the eligible instruments.

Naomi Pohl, General Secretary, Musicians’ Union, said:

'The recent threat to the BBC Singers highlighted the precarity of the UK’s choral sector. However, the response from choirs around the country also demonstrated what a rich and diverse community of choral singers we have. They are deserving of Treasury support and could do so much more with better resources. There is no question that they deliver for UK people as well as being a crucial part of the musical ecosystem.'

Rachel Greaves, General, Secretary, Association of British Choral Directors, said:

'On behalf of all those leading choirs across this wide sector, we are delighted to support this campaign, and ask for the voice to be included as an eligible instrument for tax relief. As every singer and choral leader knows, the voice is an instrument in its own right, and the benefits of this simple change would be felt right across our choir communities and our professional choirs.'

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive, Independent Society of Musicians, said:

'Tax reliefs have been transformational for parts of the creative industries and the ISM strongly believes it’s essential that choirs are able to benefit too. Our brilliant choirs provide so much to our music ecosystem, and they deserve the benefits, opportunity and recognition that tax relief would bring.'

Anne Besford, Chief Executive, National Youth Choir, said:

'Choirs are a vital and vibrant part of our national music ecology. The benefits of tax relief for orchestras have been clear, supporting growth through challenging times. Making a simple change to Orchestra Tax Relief, to include voice as an instrument, would be a valuable way of providing a similar boost for choirs, enabling them to expand and innovate programming, reach new participants and audiences in the UK and beyond, and provide essential career pathways for both emerging and established musicians and other professionals in the sector.'

Barbara Eifler, Co-Chief Executive of Making Music, said: 

'Tax reliefs are a great way for government to support economic growth in this sector. Given the well-documented benefits choirs bring to participants and communities, this is a simple and effective way to enable them to fulfil their potential, economically, educationally, and in terms of social, health and well-being benefits. Making Music is delighted to be supporting this call, alongside all major music sector organisations.'

Jo Towler, Chief Executive, Music in the Round said:

'At a time when there are significant financial pressures on music organisations from all sides, with the increasing costs of putting on events being compounded by decreasing public and private funding, support is vital to the continuation of the vibrant music and choral scene in this country. Allowing singing to be included as a musical instrument for tax relief claims is an easy win for the government to show it understands the benefits of the music sector and the contribution it makes to the well-being of the population as well as contributing to local economies.'

Debbie Wiseman OBE, Composer and President of Making Music, said:

'Extending Orchestra Tax Relief to include the voice as an eligible instrument, thus allowing choirs to access the same benefits as orchestras, would be felt right across the music sector; hugely valuable not only to choirs, but also to the numerous orchestras and ensembles that they perform alongside and collaborate with on a regular basis. The voice is an instrument – possibly the most expressive instrument of all – and should be treated the same as all other parts of the orchestra.'

 
The Campaign is supported by:

• Association of British Orchestras
• UK Music
• Musicians’ Union
• Independent Society of Musicians 
• Making Music (UK association for leisure-time music) 
• Association of British Choral Directors
• English Folk Dance and Song Society
• Music Mark
• Association of Teachers of Singing 
• MD Brunch
• Sing for Pleasure  
• The British Association of Barbershop Singers  
• Welsh Association of Male Voice Choirs  
• Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers  
• National Association of Choirs 
• Ex Cathedra 
• The Sixteen  
• Tenebrae 
• Echo Choir 
• Three Choirs Festival
• National Youth Choir  
• Sing Up  
• Young Voices  
• London Youth Choirs  
• The Voices Foundation
• The Really Big Chorus
• Peterborough Sings! 
• Choir with No Name  
• Festival of Voice, St George’s Bristol 
• Voces8 Foundation
• Music in the Round  
• Classical Sheffield   
• The Rodolfus Foundation  
• The Sing Space   
• Debbie Wiseman OBE, Composer, President, Making Music  
• Simon Halsey, Choral Conductor
• Paul Spicer, Choral Conductor, Composer 
• William Bruce, Artistic Director Choral Partnerships, St Paul’s Cathedral

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Notes to editors

1. Orchestra Tax Relief has been sustaining the growth of professional and hobby ensembles of 12+ acoustic instruments since inception, even more so since the uplift of the rate to 50% which has now been made permanent at 45%. 
2. The success of OTR, however, has highlighted the inequity that professional or hobby choirs are not able to access such support. This lack of inward investment is holding back the economic growth of this sector and the significant contribution choirs make to professionals’ portfolio careers, engaging around 30,000 choir leaders, composers and singers every year, with potential for more.
3. Choirs operate in similar ways to orchestras/acoustic instrumental ensembles, following the model of production costs leading to performances; the current legislation for OTR would therefore work equally well for acoustic vocal groups of 12+.
4. As has been proven by case studies and data submitted to HMRC and Treasury, OTR support translates into more ambitious and larger-scale programming, more professionals engaged and commissioned, increased venue hires and growth in the night-time economy. All this facilitates the sustainability of the music sector and a greater reach of audiences and new participants, with all the ensuing secondary benefits to individual well-being, educational attainment, pride of place, community cohesion, regeneration, and social inclusion.
5. We understand that creating a new choir tax relief, requiring primary legislation, would be difficult to prioritise in terms of the limited parliamentary time available. Therefore, the proposal now being put forward instead is that Orchestra Tax Relief be extended to include ‘voice’ as one of the eligible instruments.
6. Scale of impact: The number of professional choirs (i.e. where all singers are professional) is estimated at around 100 (there is no clarity as there is no network organisation representing them). There is a larger number of choirs made up of non-professional singers, as the UK has a strong tradition of choral singing. Data suggest there are at least 9,000 across the UK.

Proposal: that ‘voice’ should be included as one of the eligible instruments in Orchestra Tax Relief, to enable acoustic vocal ensembles of 12+ to claim for eligible events.

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