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Understanding R&D Tax Relief: A Comprehensive Guide

R&D Tax Relief is a government incentive that helps businesses save money on their taxes when they invest in research and development projects. If you're working on new ideas or improving products, you could get some of your costs back. Want to see if your business qualifies? Let's explore your options!

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What are the benefits of R&D Tax Relief?

R&D Tax Relief is a government incentive designed to encourage companies to invest in research and development activities. It allows businesses to claim back a significant portion of their R&D expenditures, reducing their tax bill and improving cash flow. This financial support fosters innovation and helps maintain a competitive edge in the market, making it easier for companies to explore new technologies and lead in their respective industries.
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Tax savings
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Encourages innovation
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Boosts competitiveness

What are the different types of R&D Tax Relief?

SME R&D Tax Relief

A government scheme offering enhanced tax relief to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for qualifying R&D expenditure.

SME R&D Tax Relief

SME R&D Tax Relief lets qualifying SMEs deduct a higher proportion of their R&D costs from their taxable profits or claim a payable tax credit if loss-making. This boosts cash flow and encourages innovation.

RDEC (Research and Development Expenditure Credit)

A tax credit for large companies (and some SMEs) conducting qualifying R&D, allowing them to claim a taxable credit for eligible costs.

RDEC (Research and Development Expenditure Credit)

RDEC allows large companies, and SMEs in some cases, to claim a taxable credit (currently 20%) of qualifying R&D costs, which appears as above-the-line income in financial statements, benefiting both profit and loss-making businesses.

Patent Box

A tax incentive allowing companies to pay a reduced rate of Corporation Tax on profits earned from patented inventions.

Patent Box

The Patent Box enables companies to apply a lower Corporation Tax rate to profits from patented inventions. This encourages innovation by rewarding companies that commercialise intellectual property in the UK.

What is R&D Tax Relief?

What is R&D Tax Relief?

R&D Tax Relief is a government incentive that helps companies reduce their tax bills or receive cash payouts for investing money into research and development projects. It encourages businesses to create new products, processes, or services, or significantly improve existing ones.

Types of R&D Tax Relief Schemes

There are different R&D Tax Relief schemes for different business sizes and situations: SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) can claim enhanced tax relief for qualifying R&D costs; larger companies use the RDEC (Research and Development Expenditure Credit) scheme, which offers a taxable credit; and the Patent Box scheme lets companies pay a reduced corporation tax rate on profits earned from patented inventions.

Key Features and Benefits

R&D Tax Relief schemes lower the financial risk of innovation by offsetting some R&D costs, making it easier for companies to invest in innovation. The schemes also provide flexibility, are relatively simple to claim, and can be combined (for example, claiming R&D tax credits for project costs and Patent Box for profits from patented products).

FAQ’S

What R&D activities qualify for tax relief in the energy and renewables sector?
What healthcare projects can claim R&D Tax Relief?
How do manufacturing firms benefit from R&D Tax Relief?
Can financial services firms claim R&D Tax Relief for software or fintech?

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