Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received corporation tax relief on patent boxes in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.

HMRC publishes official statistics on the number of companies claiming the Patent Box relief, on an annual basis. The statistics are available in the “Patent box statistics” publication which shows provisional estimates of 700 companies claiming Patent Box relief for 2013-14.

The next release of these statistics, including the latest data for 2013-14 and 2014-15 will be published in mid-September.

Official figures for 2015-16 and 2016-17 will be published in future years because companies, have up to 2 years after the end of the accounting period in which to claim the Patent Box relief.