Businesses in the UK can claim tax credits for Research and Development (R&D) through government-funded schemes designed to support innovation across the economy.
Our R&D tax credit specialists can help you determine your eligibility for a claim and find the best way to maximise your return from R&D projects.
Start Your R&D Claim
Our experts will engage with your dedicated contact for an exploratory consultation. We’ll learn more about your business, your research and development activities, and gather any relevant financial and technical information to determine if you’re eligible to claim R&D tax relief. We are flexible in how we work with you, and we will agree on your preferred claim delivery process and timelines at this stage.
We work directly with your technical teams to gather and review the project documentation and supporting evidence we need for your claim. We conduct interviews with R&D leaders across your company and carry out a detailed review of your business activities, leaving no stone unturned in seeking out eligible R&D activities.
We collect and process your financial data to calculate your claimable R&D tax credits. We will share our claim estimate with you at this stage and collaborate with your finance team to verify the eligible costs identified - ensuring we are maximising your claim in a compliant manner.
Our team work with you to produce a report that outlines your eligible R&D activities and qualifying costs, as well as any evidence needed to support your claim. We have an internal quality assurance procedure that all reports go through before being sent to you for final approval.
We can submit your claim on your behalf and manage the claim process with HMRC post-submission. We work closely with your finance team to ensure that the claim is submitted promptly and meets all the necessary requirements.
As a trusted adviser to our clients, we’re here to make sure you capitalise on available reductions, safeguard the value of your assets and manage your relationship with HMRC whenever needed.
We offer a broad range of accountancy and professional services that can be delivered alongside R&D tax claims to maximise the long-term growth of your business.
We’d be happy to arrange a consultation – simply fill in the enquiry form or call us on the number below.
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We used GE for all our accounting needs and they have always been very helpful, well informed on the subject matter and great to deal with. Our R&D Claim was carried out by GE and the service we received was exceptional and the whole process made far simpler than in previous years.
Director of Operations, Cosmec Investigations Ltd.
Our advisers have years of experience making R&D tax claims on behalf of business owners and directors looking to benefit from available credits and minimise their tax liability. We can do the same for you – helping you plan R&D projects in line with the latest guidelines and structuring your activities in the most tax-efficient way possible.
There are two historic schemes for accounting periods starting before 1 April 2024 to be aware of: R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC), which is commonly used by larger organisations, and R&D Tax Relief, typically used by SMEs. The criteria issued by HMRC for both of these schemes is relatively complex and constantly being updated, so it makes sense to check your approach with a professional to ensure that any planned activities qualify for relief.
The amount of R&D tax relief available will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your company, the type of qualifying expenditure incurred, whether your company is profit-making or loss-making, and the scheme under which you are eligible to claim.
In many cases, R&D tax relief can provide a valuable cash flow benefit through a reduction in Corporation Tax liabilities or, for some loss-making businesses, a payable tax credit. The precise value of a claim will depend on your circumstances and the rates applicable at the time of the claim.
Our specialists can assess your eligibility, identify qualifying activities and estimate the potential value of a claim before submission.
In most cases, an R&D tax relief claim must be submitted within two years of the end of the accounting period in which the qualifying expenditure was incurred.
However, depending on your circumstances, additional requirements may apply before a claim can be made. We recommend reviewing your eligibility and claim position as early as possible to ensure all relevant deadlines are met and supporting information is available.
HMRC have been increasing compliance checks on claims and there is a chance they may open an enquiry into your claim. You have the right to appeal the decision if your R&D tax relief claim is rejected by HMRC. However, many companies choose to partner with an expert adviser to prepare their application, minimise their chances of rejection and secure their tax relief at the first time of asking with no complications.
Under the old SME and RDEC schemes, the amount of R&D tax relief available depended on factors including company size, the scheme used, the level of qualifying expenditure, whether the company was profit-making or loss-making, and the applicable rates at the time of the claim.
For accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024, the old SME and RDEC schemes were largely replaced by the merged R&D Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme and Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS). Under the merged scheme, qualifying companies can claim an R&D expenditure credit at a rate of 20%.
ERIS is available to certain loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs. Companies that qualify can:
To qualify for ERIS, a company’s qualifying R&D expenditure must generally represent at least 30% of its total expenditure for the period, including that of any connected companies.
As the rules around R&D tax relief continue to evolve, our specialists can help determine which scheme applies to your business and estimate the potential value of a claim.
R&D tax relief is available to companies seeking to achieve an advance in science or technology by resolving scientific or technological uncertainties.
Qualifying activities can occur across a wide range of sectors and are not limited to businesses operating in laboratories or developing new products.
Our specialists can help assess whether your projects meet the eligibility criteria.
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