Patent Box Tax Relief

Did you know there is a scheme that can help reduce your corporation tax?

What is the Patent Box Scheme?

The Patent Box tax relief is a UK government incentive, introduced in 2013, that encourages companies to retain and commercialise intellectual property in the UK. It allows companies to apply an effective 10% Corporation Tax rate to qualifying profits attributable to patented inventions, rather than the normal Corporation Tax rate that would otherwise apply.
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Patent Box Tax Relief Explained

The Patent Box scheme is an HMRC approved scheme that can reduce your Corporation Tax rate.

Patent Box remains underused by smaller companies: HMRC estimates that large companies received 95% of the total relief in 2023–24, despite representing only 28% of companies electing into the scheme.

 

Who Qualifies for the Patent Box Scheme?

To qualify for the patent box there is a list of requirements:

  • Be a UK limited company
  • Be subject to corporation tax
  • Own a qualifying patent or hold an eligible exclusive licence
  • Have undertaken qualifying development by creating or significantly contributing to the invention, or by carrying out significant development of the invention or a product or process incorporating it. 
  • Generate qualifying income from exploiting the patented invention. Only the proportion of relevant profits calculated under the Patent Box rules receives the reduced effective rate

Can I Get a Patent on Existing Product?

Potentially. An existing product may be reviewed to identify opportunities for a new and inventive technical improvement. Any patent application would need to satisfy the relevant legal requirements, including novelty and inventive step, and should be assessed by a qualified patent attorney before public disclosure.

Optima can support the technical and product-development work, while patentability and filing strategy should be advised on by a qualified patent attorney.

Ecodeck manufacture eco-friendly ground reinforcement decks and were looking to patent their product for IP protection, marketing and Patent Box. We reviewed the product and designed a multipurpose fixing point that is now patented and the company has saved over SIX FIGURES in corporation tax.

Find our more in the case study.

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