Patent Box – unlocking tax benefits for food and drink businesses
Purpose/objective of webinar
Give practical tips for taking advantage of Patent Box regime and potential tax reductions.
Who is this for?
- Finance leaders
- Tax professionals
- Food & drink R&D managers
- Food & drink business owners
Webinar overview
Patent Box can deliver substantial corporation tax savings, yet many businesses either assume it is only for large corporates or overlook how achievable qualification can be.
In this webinar, specialists from RSM and HGF will explain how businesses can unlock the benefit, from securing the right intellectual property through to calculating and claiming the relief.
The webinar will cover:
- How Patent Box relief operates and how claims are made.
- How it can fit within a wider tax and innovation strategy.
- What can be patented and how the application process works
- Practical filing strategies that can support Patent Box eligibility while delivering broader commercial value.
Through practical examples and real-world case studies, attendees will learn how to identify patentable innovations within their business, understand common pitfalls that can jeopardise Patent Box eligibility, evaluate cost-effective patenting strategies, and align IP decisions with wider commercial and tax objectives.
Key takeaways include:
- Understanding Patent Box qualification requirements and claim mechanics.
- Identifying innovations that may be suitable for patent protection.
- Using patent filing strategies to maximise Patent Box opportunities.
- Avoiding common timing, validity and commercialisation pitfalls.
- Building a more effective innovation, IP and tax strategy.
Speakers
Kerry Rees - Partner, Patent Attorney
Kerry’s primary focus is patent drafting, prosecution, opposition and appeals before the European Patent Office, but he also has extensive experience in all phases of foreign patent prosecution. He also provides FTO/infringement advice.
Kerry’s background is in biotechnology and advises a wide range of companies in the area.
He has a particular interest in food technology, including alt proteins, fermentation, cultured meat and cellular agriculture, food ingredients, food feed and food enzymology, advising a variety of companies at various stages of development on IP strategies to attract funding or IP due diligence in preparing for acquisition, and advising on proactive attacking or defensive strategies in relation to third-party IP.
Kerry acts for a wide range of clients including start-ups and investors, research institutions, universities and spin-outs, mid-size companies and international corporations.
Kerry works with private equity and venture capital investors to assess and mitigate IP risks associated with an investment. Kerry particularly enjoys working with investee companies to develop IP strategies which support the business plan and to secure commercially relevant IP whether that be to secure funding or increase growth and market share.
Graham Steele - Partner, Innovation & Capital Tax Reliefs
Graham is a tax partner in RSM’s Innovation & Capital Tax Reliefs team. He has over 20 years’ experience assisting businesses to claim tax incentives such as R&D tax credits and patent box tax relief.
RSM is the 6th largest audit, tax and advisory network in the world. In the UK we employ over 5,500 people, spread across 30 offices nationally. Our national Innovation Reliefs team consists of over 80 specialists, including tax and accounting professionals, scientists and engineers.
Graham’s approach to tax reliefs is open, collaborative, flexible and pragmatic. He has significant experience of claims across all sectors, from technology-based start-ups to some of the largest R&D credits and Patent Box reliefs claims made in the UK.
Graham has worked with many food and drink manufacturers to support tax reliefs for new product development, process innovation, automation and capital investments, across a diverse mix of businesses and products. These include bread manufacturers, meat processors, fish farms and processing, grains and cereals, cakes and desserts, tinned products, convenience food, breweries, soft drinks and even pet food!