We Help You Navigate the Complex World of R&D Tax Credits

Are you taking full advantage of Research and Development tax credit opportunities?
R&D tax credits can contribute significantly to your bottom line.

Research and Development for an SME

A small or medium sized company (SME) which is carrying out Research and Development can claim 150% R&D tax relief if it

  • incurs qualifying R&D expenditure on its own behalf, or
  • subcontracts R&D work to someone else (e.g. another SME, a large company, or a non-taxpayer such as a university or charity).

The definition of an SME is that used by the European Commission for State Aid purposes. Briefly, an SME is a company with fewer than 250 employees, and either annual turnover not exceeding €50M or a balance sheet totalling €43M, and which is not part of a large group. This means it can deduct 150% of the qualifying current spending on R&D when it calculates its taxable profits, instead of the normal 100%. SME companies which do not make a profit can surrender their qualifying R&D losses in return for a cash payment. This is known as the payable R&D Tax Credit and is worth £24 for every £100 spent. Whichever way the work is organised, it is the SME funding the R&D activity that claims the credit, not the subcontractor.

Research and Development for a large company

A large company (or an SME doing subcontract work for it) can claim 124% R&D tax relief. This means it can deduct 125% of the qualifying current spending on R&D when it calculates its taxable profits, instead of the normal 100%. Where a large company subcontracts R&D to another person it cannot claim R&D Tax Credits itself on its costs of subcontracting the Research and Development, unless the subcontractor is a non-taxpayer such as a university or a charity body (or is an individual). If the subcontractor is a company, it can claim R&D Tax Credits at 125% on its qualifying costs of carrying out the work, whether it is an SME or a large company.

Who can claim?

Companies can claim the enhanced relief given by R&D Tax Credits. They are not available to individuals or partnerships. Only small or medium sized companies can claim the payable R&D Tax Credit.

What expenditure qualifies?

Companies can claim R&D Tax Credits on the costs of

  • employing staff directly and actively engaged in carrying out R&D, and
  • consumable stores used for the R&D.

SME companies can also claim for certain costs of subcontracting R&D. Large companies can claim for the costs of subcontracting R&D only if the work is subcontracted to a non-taxpayer, or an individual.

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