Could research and development (R&D) tax credits be a target for Rachel Reeves in her first Budget? The annual cost of the credits, paid to businesses investing in innovation, has increased to around £7.5 billion a year. And amid warnings that not all claims are bona fide, that pot of cash could make a tempting target.
More than 55,000 small businesses received R&D tax credits last year, the latest figures from HM Revenue & Customs show, underlining the value of this scheme to large numbers of companies. However, the scheme has already undergone substantial changes, with reforms introduced in April aimed at simplifying the system and cracking down on ineligible claims.
The new arrangements have merged the two separate schemes that discriminated between claims made by small and larger businesses. However, the principle remains the same: if your business invests in innovation, it should be able to offset some of the cost of that investment against its corporation tax. And if you’re not paying corporation tax because your business is not currently profitable, you should still be eligible for support.
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The rules get quite technical, but the relief is a valuable one, enabling you to claim back up to 27% of your innovation costs (depending on your circumstances) under the new merged scheme. Claims can be made in relation to innovation costs incurred in your past two accounting years.
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Importantly, innovation has a broad meaning under the scheme. It might be that your business is investing in trying to make some sort of advance in science or technology. Or you may be seeking to overcome some sort of scientific or technological uncertainty. That brings a broad range of work into play. It’s not only major technology breakthroughs that count, but also investments in process or development – a company that finds a new way to run an operation or execute its production, say, may be eligible to claim. While HMRC’s figures show that companies in the information and communications sector account for more R&D tax credits than any other, it also receives plenty of claims from manufacturers, professional services companies and the construction industry.
The bottom line is that if your firm is pursuing innovation of any kind, it is worth looking into whether you are eligible for support. And while it seems unlikely that the chancellor would axe the scheme altogether, she may seek to make further changes to the rules. It therefore makes sense to assess your position now, if only to understand how the Budget affects you.
That said, tread carefully with claims. In recent years, the government has become increasingly concerned about the quality of claims – and fraud – and HMRC has been scrutinising filings more closely. The tax authority even has powers to claw back credits it decides should not have been paid, with a growing number of small businesses handed bills for thousands of pounds. Some of those demands relate to claims made several years ago.
It’s therefore imperative not to leave yourself vulnerable to a difficult inquiry from HMRC. It may be a good idea to take professional advice from an accountant or a tax credits specialist before proceeding with a claim. But work with an adviser you trust. A small cottage industry has grown up around the tax-credits sector, with firms making bold claims about how much support they can secure for businesses. They will typically take a sizeable chunk of this cash – and if HMRC does subsequently investigate your case, it may be difficult to pursue the adviser.
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