RDA

Sectors we serve

R&D tax credits are waiting to be claimed

There is no restriction to the industry sector in which a company operates – all R&D projects are considered on their individual merits. We work across all sectors and have consistently delivered successful claims for firms working in digital technology, manufacturing, architecture, engineering, pharmaceuticals, food, ICT, construction and renewable energies, to name just a few.

HMRC guidelines suggest that when making the claim for tax relief a company should demonstrate there has been a scientific or technological advance as a result of the R&D activity and also whether any uncertainties have been resolved which were not readily deducible by a competent professional in the field.

Where R&D might apply in your sector:

Airplane
Aerospace and Defence

Do your projects involve high quality type material finishes? Do you design bespoke products for the aerospace industry using different types of materials?

Alarms/CCTV
Alarms/CCTV

Are you breaking new ground in optical surveillance?...

Chemicals, Paints and Adhesive
Chemicals, Paints and Adhesive

Are you using new or unusual materials, design processes or manufacturing techniques on your products?

Construction and Building Material
Construction and Building Material

Do you design bespoke and iconic features e.g. façades, staircases, furniture or roofing systems? Are you using existing materials, design processes…

Electronics and Electrical
Electronics and Electrical

Have you developed processes or manufacturing techniques that are out of the ordinary? Do you use new or unusual materials in your work?

Engineering and Machinery Design
Engineering and Machinery Design

Do your designs and products involve new or unusual processes, materials or systems? Are you manufacturing products to address new markets?

Materials, Finishes and Construction…
Materials, Finishes and Construction…

Are you using existing materials, design processes or manufacturing techniques on your projects, but in a new or novel way?

Projects
Projects

Are you working to develop new processes or methods? Are you making adaptations to existing software or designs?

Sustainability
Sustainability

Are you seeking sustainable certification on your projects, such as BREEAM, Passivhaus or LEED? Do you design or integrate sustainable systems into your projects?

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and Medical Sciences
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology...

Are you developing new drugs or administration methods? Are you investigating the structures and effects of viruses or bacteria? Are you working to explore how the body or mind responds to pathogens or other external stimuli?

Testing
Testing

Do your projects involve Business Information Modelling (BIM) or software testing, e.g. structural, thermal or wind software modelling?

Airplane
Aerospace and Defence

Do your projects involve high quality type material finishes? Do you design bespoke products for the aerospace industry using different types of materials?

Alarms/CCTV
Alarms/CCTV

Are you breaking new ground in optical surveillance?...

Chemicals, Paints and Adhesive
Chemicals, Paints and Adhesive

Are you using new or unusual materials, design processes or manufacturing techniques on your products?

Construction and Building Material
Construction and Building Material

Do you design bespoke and iconic features e.g. façades, staircases, furniture or roofing systems? Are you using existing materials, design processes…

Check your eligibility

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Find out now if you qualify for R&D tax credit by answering a few simple questions

​Is your company registered for Corporation Tax in the UK?

Yes
No

Check how R&D tax credits would work for you

Answer a few quick and simple questions to see where your company is eligible for tax credit.

Frequently asked questions

qCan I claim R&D tax credits even if I haven’t paid Corporation Tax?

Yes. Even loss-making companies are eligible for R&D tax relief.

qWhat kind of businesses can claim R&D Tax Credits?

All UK-registered limited companies are eligible – it really doesn’t matter what industry sector they operate in. A limited-liability partnership (LLP) can only claim if a Corporation Tax-paying firm outsourced some of its R&D to the LLP. Sole traders are ineligible.

qWhat kind of expenditure qualifies?

There is a lot that can qualify for R&D tax relief. This can range from planning, designing, testing and analysis methods through to the creation and adaptation of materials, equipment or software. Even staff time given to things like the record-keeping, maintenance, security protection and training in relation to the R&D project can all count under the R&D Tax Credit Scheme. But it’s worth getting in touch to find out more.

qWhy would the government do this?

Throughout history, the UK – birthplace of the telescope, the telephone, the television and the text message – has been at the forefront of innovation and invention. To keep the country at the cutting edge, the government’s Industrial Strategy has committed to raising total R&D expenditure to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, up from 1.7% in 2018. And, because government research shows that every pound it gives out in R&D tax relief returns between £2.40 and £2.70 in extra R&D investment, the R&D Tax Credits scheme has been designed to facilitate this.

qWhat could my claim be worth?

That depends on your company’s circumstances. But when it released its figures for 2018-19 – the year for which the figures are most recently available – the government found the UK’s biggest firms had made 7,105 claims under the RDEC scheme, for a total of £2.4 billion. That made the average large-company RDEC claim almost £350,000. There were 52,160 claims under the SME scheme with the average pay-out standing at £57,515. A further £265 million was shared by small and medium sized companies from the RDEC scheme.

qHow is it paid?

Some claims are purely for a reduction in Corporation Tax liability. But in some cases, an SME might use its R&D tax credit to reduce its tax bill to zero, and then take the rest as a cash payment. In other cases, the SME might carry forward its tax credit to future years. A large-company, RDEC claim will normally be paid back as a cash rebate on the paid tax.

Let’s find out how we can help your business

Our consultants will advise you on how to identify where the R&D you have worked on qualifies for tax relief. The first step is getting in touch.
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