Management and resolution
If HMRC has recently queried your businesses claims to R&D relief or Research and Development Expenditure Credits (RDEC), it is important to act quickly to ensure the enquiry process has the minimum level of disruption on your business.
With HMRC increasing their focus on checking R&D claims, and queries currently being raised by HMRC in 1 in 5 cases, businesses involved in R&D activities are increasingly being asked by HMRC to demonstrate the nature of their qualifying activities to HMRC and to justify the quantum of their claims.
We understand that the enquiry process can take the focus away from the day-to-day running of your business. Our tax disputes specialists will guide you through to the end of the enquiry process, helping preserve your time and minimise disruption throughout your business.
We will help you manage any HMRC queries strategically, efficiently, fairly and with reduced risk to your reputation. Working together with our market leading Innovations and Incentives specialists, we have a diverse team with industry insight, innovative technology and experience of resolving HMRC enquiries.
Prevention and planning
Our specialists can also work alongside you ahead of the submission of R&D claims, to make sure that best practice is followed and minimise any impact of an enquiry on your business. Some of the areas we focus on include:
Claim Support
Review of systems and processes associated with capturing information relevant to the claim, and ensure they are appropriately documented to support the claims in the event of an HMRC enquiry.
Evidence File
Ensuring the input of competent professionals in the business is appropriately documented, to protect the business from the risk of knowledge gaps in the event of staff departures.
R&D Controls Framework
We cross-reference your R&D claims processes against the other tax controls your business has in place (e.g. Transfer Pricing controls) to ensure a consistent approach has been taken to reduce the risk of challenge by HMRC.
Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) and Corporate Criminal Offence (CCO) Compliance
We will help align your Tax Governance processes to ensure compliance with the CCO and SAO (where applicable) legislation, benefitting from synergies in approach.
