Research & Development Tax Credits (R&D)
Your unique solutions, sponsored by HMRC.
Innovation drives growth. But developing software, running experimental digital campaigns, or building products that push the boundaries of what's technically possible isn't cheap.
That's where Research & Development Tax Credits come in.
R&D tax credits let you reclaim a meaningful portion of your qualifying costs, reducing your Corporation Tax bill or generating a cash refund to reinvest directly into your business.
The relief covers staff time, software, consumables, and subcontracted R&D work. From April 2024, the SME scheme and RDEC have merged into a single, simplified R&D scheme that most UK businesses now claim under.
To make a successful claim, HMRC requires clear documentation and a technical narrative that demonstrates the scientific or technological uncertainty your project set out to resolve. That's a specific bar, and meeting it properly is where planning, tracking, and expert guidance make the real difference.
We help businesses across tech, marketing, and consulting identify qualifying activity, capture costs correctly, and build claims that are fully compliant, genuinely maximised, and ready to withstand HMRC scrutiny.
Ready to find out what your R&D activity is worth? Book a free consultation and let's take a look at what you could be claiming.
Research & Development Tax Credits Services
Transforming ideas into ideals
Jamie Jones ACA
Director
Accounting • Tax • Financial Insights
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R&D Eligibility & Setup
Find out if your innovation qualifies,
and if it does, let's make sure it is set up to count.
Not every project automatically qualifies for R&D tax credits, but many businesses are genuinely surprised by how much of their everyday innovation does.
Under the merged R&D scheme introduced in April 2024, relief is available when your work addresses scientific or technological uncertainty, seeks to advance knowledge or capability, or creates new or improved processes, products, or services. Whether you're developing software, testing a novel product, or building something that didn't exist before, if you're genuinely experimenting to solve a problem that wasn't straightforwardly solvable, there's a strong chance your activity qualifies.
Getting set up correctly from the start is where most of the value is won or lost. We help you clearly identify qualifying projects and costs, align your records with HMRC's requirements, and establish a system for tracking staff time, consumables, and subcontracted work on an ongoing basis. The goal is a claim that's robust, well-evidenced, and ready to withstand scrutiny - built from day one, not reconstructed at year end.
Not sure if your projects qualify? Book a free consultation and let's work through it together.
Qualifying
Spending
Not all expenditure counts toward an R&D claim, and the line between qualifying and non-qualifying costs isn't always obvious.
We map out what's eligible, make sure costs are captured in the right categories, and confirm that your spend is being tracked in a way HMRC will accept.
Compliance
First
HMRC has been cracking down on fraudulent claims in recent years - and are focusing on this tax credit more than ever.
Don't risk getting pulled up for poor paperwork and lacklustre compliance.
Use expert guidance to maximise your claims potential.
R&D Strategic Planning
Smart R&D claims don't start at year end.
They start here.
The businesses that get the most from R&D tax credits aren't necessarily the ones doing the most innovation. They're the ones who plan their activity, track their spend, and align their R&D with their wider tax strategy from the beginning.
Strategic planning lets you time projects, allocate resources, and prioritise qualifying activity to maximise both the size of your claim and the speed at which the credit feeds back into your business. For companies in tech, marketing, and consulting, where innovation is built into how you operate rather than confined to a lab, getting this right means your everyday problem-solving is working harder commercially.
We help you map out qualifying projects, identify eligible activities under the merged R&D scheme, and model the cashflow impact of your claim throughout the year.
Planning early means you can integrate R&D tax credits into your broader tax strategy, optimise cashflow, and make investment decisions with a clear picture of the financial return.
Done well, R&D tax credits stop being a compliance exercise and start being a genuine business accelerator. It can turn the uncertainty you overcome every day into measurable, reinvestable growth.
If you want your R&D spend working strategically rather than retrospectively, book a free consultation and let's map it out together.
Timing your
claims
When you incur qualifying R&D expenditure can directly influence the size and timing of your credit.
We build a cashflow forecast around your R&D activity so the credit is predictable, well-timed, and working for your business rather than arriving as an afterthought.
Allocating Resources Effectively
How you deploy your team, source subcontractors, and invest in tools all affect the size of your qualifying claim.
We help you structure projects so every qualifying pound is accounted for before it's spent, not recovered after the fact.
Staying Ahead
of HMRC
R&D compliance has tightened considerably since the April 2024 scheme changes.
We keep your activity aligned with HMRC's current expectations so your claim is robust, well-evidenced, and never a source of unnecessary risk.
R&D Computation
You've breathed life into something unique,
time to make your claim.
This is where your R&D claim becomes real.
Once qualifying projects and activities are identified, the focus shifts to accurately calculating the costs that underpin your claim. Getting this wrong — in either direction — can mean a reduced credit, an overstated claim that draws HMRC attention, or both.
We review your financial records, staff allocations, software, consumables, and subcontracted costs to build a precise, HMRC-compliant computation under the merged R&D scheme. Every figure is checked, reconciled, and mapped back to qualifying activity to make sure your claim is both maximised and properly supported.
This isn't guesswork or percentage estimates. It's a structured, evidence-led calculation built to stand up to scrutiny. This gives you confidence in the numbers, clarity over the benefit you're claiming, and assurance that nothing has been overstated or overlooked.
Ready to find out exactly what your R&D claim is worth? Book a free consultation and let's run the numbers.
Cost
Calculation
We go through every qualifying line of expenditure — staff time, software, consumables, subcontracted work — and reconcile it against HMRC's criteria.
The result is a precise, fully documented computation with no estimates and no gaps.
Narrative
Verification
The numbers need to match the story.
We cross-check your computation against your technical narrative to make sure every cost is traceable to a qualifying uncertainty.
A claim that doesn't stack up internally is a claim that won't survive scrutiny.
Claim
Review
Before anything moves to submission, we run a full review of the completed computation.
Every figure is verified, every assumption tested. What goes forward to HMRC is accurate, defensible, and ready.
R&D Final Submission
You keep developing,
We'll pick up the admin.
Once the numbers are finalised, we handle everything from here. We prepare the technical narrative, compile the supporting documentation, and integrate the completed claim directly into your Corporation Tax return. We make sure the R&D element is correctly reflected and HMRC-ready.
With scrutiny on R&D claims higher than it's ever been, how a claim is submitted matters just as much as what's claimed.
Under the merged R&D scheme, HMRC expects clear, consistent, well-evidenced submissions. We make sure yours meets that standard and then some. Every figure traceable, every narrative supported, every deadline met.
You stay informed at key points, but the heavy lifting stays with us. What you get at the end is a submission that accurately reflects the full value of your innovation and is built to withstand any level of HMRC attention.
Ready to get your R&D claim submitted properly? Book a free consultation and let's get it across the line.
Why choose Mythic Accounting to help your business
With a depth of experience in helping businesses across the spectrum, from household names to one-man wonders, we've seen it all.
We speak your language, we understand your passion, we know your challenges. We know the corporate world, but we live in the real world.
You may be a master in your field - you may have an idea that will change the world - however, finances may not be your thing, and this should not stop you from achieving greatness.
From day one to regular ongoing compliance and business insights - don't let your finances get in the way of your dreams.
Get in touch today to find out how we can support you.
