"I would strongly recommend BDO for any companies looking to make R&D tax claims…the team had backgrounds in software engineering, which meant they were really able to understand what we do and advise where to draw the line for what was eligible. Other accounting firms we worked with were not even close to understanding the nature of our work, and as such were not able to advise us properly on what is a complex process."
R&D tax credits can be great for your cashflow, but claiming the right amount is often much trickier than you think – and past errors can come back to haunt you.
In 2020/21, error rates in R&D claims accounted for around £1.13 Billion for SMEs alone – so HMRC has stepped up its compliance checks, often clawing back tax credits it has already paid out.
This can create a cashflow crisis if your business has overclaimed, and the process can take considerable time and effort to resolve.
Specialist support to correct past R&D claims
Do you think you might have a tax problem? Has HMRC been in touch?
Don’t let concerns over past R&D claims hang over your business. Unresolved issues can be time-consuming, tarnish your tax compliance record and damage your business's reputation - not to mention your bank balance.
Get an expert review from our R&D team, who will put your claims through a forensic process to give you confirmation that they are correct, or a clear assessment of what you need to put right.
Our Tax Disputes team can work seamlessly with our R&D specialists to help you clear up the matter as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Forensic R&D analysis
Our dedicated R&D team is made up of tax specialists and subject matter experts – including engineers and scientists. We can stress test your historic claims and benchmark your past R&D claims against similar companies. We can help you find any errors that HMRC commonly identifies, and any further hidden problems or technical issues that HMRC have struggled to grasp, or where previous advisors have not conveyed the correct technical information.
We can give your past claims a clean bill of health, or set out a clear breakdown of what you have overclaimed and which figures need amending.
Technology business
R&D Tax Dispute expertise and experience
Our dispute specialists include ex-HMRC Inspectors and qualified mediators, and we have a wealth of experience in settling HMRC investigations into R&D claims and helping businesses make voluntary disclosures to avoid a lengthy and disruptive process.
Our approach is rooted in a deep understanding of HMRC and the R&D tax legislation and guidance. We have a proven track record of successfully defending our clients during these enquiries.
"The knowledge and experience BDO brought to the table, not only from a technical R&D engineering standpoint but also dispute resolution perspective, was invaluable in unlocking and resolving our long-running HMRC enquiry with no concessions. This was a great result for us which we wouldn’t have achieved without working with BDO’s Tax Dispute Resolutions team and R&D tax services experts."
We can help you to mitigate financial penalties and negotiate time to pay arrangements for paying back overclaimed reliefs with HMRC. We can also provide Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and mediation services to resolve any long-running disputes with HMRC prior to considering litigation.
Please book an online meeting, or call 0808 2815 890, or use the Contact us form to get expert advice and support in managing R&D enquiries from HMRC.
