R&D Tax Credits. Done right.

Work that seeks an advance in science or technology by resolving scientific or technological uncertainty that a competent professional in the field couldn't readily solve. It doesn't have to be successful, novel to the world, or in a lab — bespoke software, new manufacturing processes, and engineering integration work routinely qualify. Marketing innovation, cosmetic redesign, and routine debugging don't.

Under the merged scheme (accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2024), most companies get a 20% above-the-line credit on qualifying expenditure, giving roughly 15p back per £1 spent after corporation tax. Loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs (where R&D is 30%+ of total expenditure) can claim the enhanced ERIS rate worth up to 27p per £1. Typical claims for our clients land between £15,000 and £100,000.

Staff salaries, employer NI and pension contributions for time spent on R&D, externally provided workers (subject to the 65% restriction), subcontractor costs (with the new rules tightening overseas spend), consumables used up in R&D, software licences, and a proportion of utilities and data costs. Capital expenditure is excluded but may qualify for R&D Allowances separately.

HMRC's compliance check rate rose sharply from 2023 onwards, with many claims rejected for thin technical narratives. We write claims to the standard HMRC actually wants — the technical uncertainty argued in the language of a competent professional, costs apportioned with timesheets or defensible estimates, and the Additional Information Form completed fully. If a claim is queried, we defend it at no extra cost.

Fixed fee or a contingent percentage (usually 12–18%) of the claim value, capped so you always keep the majority. We quote both upfront so you can pick. First conversation is free — if your work doesn't qualify, we'll tell you on the call rather than waste your time on a workshop.