Research and development tax relief is one of the most valuable, and most underclaimed, incentives available to UK companies. If your business spends money developing new products, processes or services, or improving existing ones, you may be entitled to a Corporation Tax reduction or a cash payment from HMRC.
The reality is that many businesses carrying out qualifying work never realise it. That is where a proactive adviser makes the difference. Rather than waiting for you to ask, we actively look across your activity for qualifying R&D, build the claim, and fold it into your wider tax plan so the saving is part of a bigger picture rather than a one-off
Companies that take a risk to resolve a scientific or technological uncertainty can claim relief on the costs involved. If you are making a claim for the first time, you can typically go back over your last two completed accounting periods, so there may be value sitting in work you have already done.
Qualifying costs commonly include staff time, subcontractors, software and consumables used on the project. We identify what counts, document it to HMRC’s standard, and calculate the claim so you receive the full benefit you are entitled to.
R&D can take place in any sector, from cheese-making to chemical engineering, construction to digital development. To benefit, you generally need to:
The criteria are deliberately broad. If you were unsure whether something was technically possible, or how to achieve it in practice, you may well have been resolving uncertainty and carrying out qualifying R&D. Importantly, the work does not have to have succeeded to qualify, and projects undertaken for a client can count alongside your own.
An R&D claim is not just a form to file. Handled well, it is part of a proactive tax strategy. We make sure the claim is robust, defensible and maximised, and we use it as a prompt to review your wider position so you are not leaving anything else on the table. We will also talk you through what is coming, so future claims are planned for rather than rushed.
Get in touch today and we will tell you, honestly, whether there is a claim worth making.
Get in touch today to see how we can support your business and take the pressure off your finances.
