Works by Edgar Degas and Ben Nicholson are among the artworks donated to UK public collections through the government's Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) and Cultural Gifts Schemes (CGS) between April 2024 and March 2025. The total value of objects gifted reached £59.7 million, settling £39.3 million in tax. Degas's pastel *Ballet Dancers* (1888) was allocated to the National Gallery in London, settling £7.9 million in tax, while three paintings by Ben Nicholson went to Kettle's Yard in Cambridge and a fourth to Pallant House Gallery. Other donations include 73 photographs by Bill Brandt to Tate, a Vanessa Bell still life to the Charleston Trust, and works from the Radev Collection.
These schemes matter because they provide a vital mechanism for UK public collections to acquire culturally significant artworks when public acquisition budgets are under severe pressure. As Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, notes, the programs are "crucial routes" for enriching national collections despite limited funding. The report highlights how tax incentives can successfully channel private wealth into public cultural assets, ensuring important works remain accessible to the public rather than being sold abroad or held privately.