Accountants for Video Game Developers

Making a great game is hard enough without crunching your numbers too.

ChadSan are specialist accountants for video game developers. We help studios claim the tax relief they’re owed, fund their next project and build the team to make it happen, all explained in plain English.

Whether you’re costing a new title, claiming Video Games Expenditure Credit, preparing to raise investment or hiring your next developer, we’ve got you covered. Think of us as your accounting cheat code.

How We Help Games Studios

From claiming Video Games Expenditure Credit and R&D tax credits to preparing for the UK Games Fund and setting up share schemes for your team, we handle the numbers so you can focus on making great games.

Claim Your Video Games Tax Relief

Claim Your R&D Tax Credits

Budget Every Game You Make

Get Ready for Funding

Give Your Team a Share

Keep Your Books Straight

Games Industry Jargon, Translated

VGEC: Video Games Expenditure Credit. Money back from HMRC worth 34% of qualifying development costs on British games.

VGTR: Video Games Tax Relief. The older scheme VGEC replaced. It closed to new games in April 2025.

British certification: Before you can claim VGEC, your game needs to pass the BFI’s cultural test, which confirms it counts as a British game.

R&D tax credits: Money back for work that solves genuine technical challenges, like building new technology rather than using existing tools.

EMI: Enterprise Management Incentive. A tax efficient way to give your team share options in your studio.

Milestone payments: Payments from a publisher that are released as you hit agreed stages of development.

Runway: How many months your cash will last at your current rate of spending.

Are you based in Guildford?

If you’re building a tech or games company in Guildford or across Surrey, giving your team a genuine stake in what they’re building is one of the strongest ways to attract and keep good people, especially when you can’t compete on salary alone.

Explore Employee Share Schemes

Simple, Fixed Monthly Fees

Every studio is different, so we don’t do one size fits all. We’ll agree a fixed monthly fee based on what you actually need, from bookkeeping and payroll to VGEC claims and investor reporting, with no surprise bills. Book a free consultation and we’ll give you a clear quote.

Studios We’ve Worked With

Thunderbox Entertainment
An independent studio bringing classic board games to tablets through their own Emotional Game Design approach.

Superstring
A solo developer turning a long held idea into Headspun, a narrative game. We helped with business planning, budgeting and managing milestones as the studio took shape.

Industry Knowledge

Practical guides for games studios on tax relief, funding and growing your team.

Accountants in Guildford meeting with a startup founder

How To Find the Right Accountants in Guildford: A Guide for Startups and Growing Businesses

ChAdvice

R&D Tax credits for software and gaming studios

R&D Tax Credits for Software and Games Studios: What Qualifies, What Doesn’t, and How to Claim in 2026

ChAdvice

Why Tech Founders Are Choosing Specialist Accountants in Guildford Over High Street Firms

ChAdvice

“ChadSan are our partner accountants at Rocketdesk, and provide a really effective and friendly service both to our business and those of our member companies. Sean, Matthew and the gang are knowledgable and enthusiastic, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them (and often do!).”

Rocketdesk

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an accountant for video game developers do?

All the essentials any business needs, like your accounts, tax and payroll, plus the things that are unique to games. That means claiming VGEC and R&D relief correctly, costing projects around publisher milestones and getting your studio ready for investment.

Can my studio claim VGEC?

If your game is intended for release, passes the BFI’s cultural test as a British game and has qualifying development costs, you’re likely to be eligible. We’ll check your eligibility in a free first consultation.

What happened to Video Games Tax Relief?

VGTR has been replaced by VGEC. It closed to new games from 1 April 2025 and ends completely in April 2027. VGEC is paid as a credit rather than a tax deduction, and in most cases it’s more generous.

Can we claim both VGEC and R&D tax credits?

Yes, but not on the same costs. The key is splitting your development work correctly so each part of a project claims the relief that pays you most. We structure claims that stay compliant and maximise what you get back.

Do you work with independent studios?

Yes. We work with independent studios and established developers alike, and we’re especially useful when you’re growing, raising funding or building your team.

How much do you charge?

We agree a fixed monthly fee based on what your studio needs, so there are no surprise bills. Book a free consultation and we’ll give you a clear quote.

We partner with ambitious studios. Let’s build something together.

Talk to our specialists in the field with years of experience in start-ups, scaling businesses and more.

Contact Us