Research and development tax relief has never been a simple area of tax, but the landscape businesses face today is more demanding than it has ever been.

HMRC scrutiny of R&D claims has intensified significantly in recent years, and the legislative changes brought in through the merged R&D scheme have added further complexity for companies trying to understand what qualifies, what they can claim and how to defend their position.

The result is that many businesses either underestimate the scope of their qualifying activity or avoid making claims altogether, concerned about getting it wrong.

That is a costly mistake, as R&D tax relief exists to reward genuine investment in innovation, and businesses that are developing or improving existing products, processes or technologies may be entitled to significant relief without realising it.

At Milsted Langdon, we work with businesses across a wide range of sectors to develop well-constructed, defensible R&D claims.

Our approach combines technical rigour with a genuine understanding of what clients actually do. The quality of an R&D claim often depends on how well an adviser can translate complex commercial activity into the language and evidential standards that HMRC expects.

Our recent R&D support

We have worked with businesses across sectors, including healthcare analytics, where the technical substance of a client’s projects requires careful interpretation before any claim can be prepared.

We have handled a number of significant R&D enquiries, including one particularly challenging case in which the client’s work involved developing technology for GCHQ.

The sensitivity of that work placed strict limits on what could be disclosed to HMRC, which was a constraint that required careful handling, precise technical judgement and measured professional engagement throughout. Our team achieved a positive outcome despite those restrictions.

How we can help

R&D relief works best when it is approached as part of a broader tax strategy rather than a standalone exercise.

If your business is investing in innovation and you are unsure whether you are making the most of the relief available, we would be happy to talk it through.