Research and Development tax relief

Research and development (R&D) tax relief is an incentive designed to encourage businesses with various innovative projects to invest in the UK as their base. It’s available for companies of all sizes. There are two regimes for R&D tax relief:

• small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) scheme; and
• R&D expenditure credit (RDEC) scheme for expenditure that doesn’t fall into the SME scheme.
  

To qualify for the relief, your company must be looking to develop new or improved products, processes, materials, services or devices that will resolve uncertainty in science or technology. 

Drawing on our close working relationships with HMRC’s R&D specialist units, our experts have helped businesses of all sizes and across sectors to make successful R&D tax relief claims. We’ll take care of the process for you, minimising time commitments for you and your teams.

How we can help

Despite the continuous need for innovation and bespoke solutions, there are two common misconceptions held by companies: they do not undertake any qualifying R&D activities, and it’s too difficult to make a successful claim. Companies in almost all sectors will undertake some qualifying R&D.

This has been amplified in recent times, where a combination of press scrutiny and HMRC focus has ‘raised the bar’ when it comes to preparing R&D claims. Similarly, it has also left many businesses wary of making claims. 

With RSM’s combination of specialised R&D tax and industry-trained experts, we can help you prepare and submit R&D claims in line with HMRC’s latest requirements. Through discussions with senior members of your technical teams, we can quickly assess claim potential and eligibility. Our team is skilled in rapidly identifying activities and expenditure that qualify - saving you time. 

Our specialists, located across the country, come from both technical and tax backgrounds, so they have a deep understanding of your business and the activities that qualify for R&D relief. Our strategy is to provide a service to our clients locally, so that we stay closer to you and the markets in which you operate. This means we can develop strong personal relationships that generate real value.

Full report preparation – Minimising the time spent by your teams.

Research and development workshops – Refreshing the knowledge of your in-house knowledge of the R&D tax relief regime.

Review of claims – Review of pre-existing claims and challenge current methodologies.

Management and assistance in resolving HMRC enquiries – Quick resolution of questions raised by experienced R&D specialists.

Advise on tax disclosures and accounting requirements – A blended approach, to suit your current processes, and bring robust external expertise. 

To find out more about R&D tax reliefs and how we can help, please contact James Tetley, Sheetal Sanghvi, Graham Steele or Constantine Costas