The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed plans to raise its fees by an average of 25% from 1 April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. The change will affect applications and renewals for patents, trademarks, and designs.
This marks the first major fee increase in several years, with some fees unchanged for more than two decades. The IPO says the rise is necessary to keep pace with inflation and maintain the quality of its services.
The change means most fees will go up by around a quarter. For example:
- A patent search will rise from £150 to £200.
- A trademark application will increase from £170 to £205.
Full guidance will be published early in 2026 to help those whose payments fall close to the transition date.
The IPO has also updated its ‘how to pay’ information online, including revised terms and conditions for deposit account holders.
If approved, the new fee structure will take effect from 1 April 2026. Until then, the current fees remain in place.
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/intellectual-property-office-fees-to-increase-from-april-2026
The June 'UK Report on Jobs' shows subdued business confidence driving a preference for short-term staff. Temporary staff billings rose at the steepest rate in over three years, while permanent staff appointments continued to decline, although at a much slower pace than in May.
HMRC have proposed a new criminal offence for making reckless, untrue statements or declarations about what's known as 'direct taxes' - Income Tax, National Insurance and the like. For Customs and Excise and VAT ('indirect taxes'), it is already possible to prosecute individuals who make untrue statements or submit incorrect documents either knowingly or recklessly, without the need to prove dishonesty. The penalties for such offences can be severe, including substantial fines and imprisonment. The direct tax regime does not currently contain an equivalent offence.