Since April 2024, most companies claim Research and Development relief under the merged scheme, an above the line credit worth 20 percent of qualifying expenditure, equivalent to around 15 to 16.2 pence net per pound after Corporation Tax. If you are claiming for the first time, or have not claimed in the past three years, you must submit a claim notification form within 6 months of your accounting period ending, or you permanently lose the ability to claim for that period, no exceptions.
We assess eligibility, prepare the technical and financial claim, and track the notification deadline for Slough companies undertaking qualifying research and development, coordinated with your corporation tax return.
The claim notification deadline is not a soft guideline. It is a hard cliff edge that ends exactly 6 months after your accounting period closes, and HMRC will not consider a late notification under any circumstances, however valid the underlying research work is. Many companies only discover this requirement when their accountant raises R&D relief during year end work, by which point the notification window has often already closed. This is exactly why R&D eligibility needs discussing early in the accounting period, not after the year has ended. We flag the notification deadline the moment a qualifying project is identified, well before the 6 month clock runs out.
This service is for Slough companies developing new products, processes, or software, regardless of sector.
We review your projects against HMRC's definition of qualifying R&D before any claim work begins.
We submit your claim notification form within the 6 month deadline whenever it applies to you.
We prepare the technical narrative, cost calculations, and Additional Information Form required for a valid claim.
We determine whether the standard merged scheme or the Enhanced R&D Intensive Support scheme suits your company.
The merged scheme gives an above the line credit of 20 percent of qualifying expenditure, worth roughly 15 to 16.2 pence net per pound after Corporation Tax, depending on your rate.
Yes, if this is your first claim, or you have not claimed in the past three years, you must submit a claim notification form within 6 months of your accounting period ending.
Your R&D claim for that accounting period is permanently unavailable. There is no late submission option and no appeal against the deadline itself.
Work that seeks an advance in science or technology by resolving scientific or technological uncertainty, not routine development or straightforward customisation of existing products.
Our team is part of Direct Assist Accountants' ACCA-regulated practice in Slough
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