Answer 7 questions. Get your eligibility score, estimated claim value, and audit risk rating — free, in under 2 minutes.
The rules changed significantly in April 2024. If you last looked at R&D tax credits a few years ago, what you knew is now out of date. The old SME scheme and large-company RDEC scheme have been replaced by a single Merged Scheme — and most content on Google still reflects the old rules.
Here is what the current system looks like for accounting periods starting from 1 April 2024:
| Your situation | Scheme | Effective relief |
|---|---|---|
| Most companies — profit-making or modest losses | Merged RDEC | 15–16.2% of qualifying spend |
| Loss-making SME spending 30%+ of total expenditure on R&D | ERIS | Up to 27% of qualifying spend |
The central test is technological uncertainty — your project must aim to resolve a scientific or technological uncertainty that a competent professional in your field could not easily resolve. This applies to software development, new product creation, process improvement, and much more across almost every sector.
Tens of thousands of qualifying UK businesses never make a claim. The most common reasons: they assumed the relief was only for laboratories, their general accountant didn't raise it, or the process felt too complex. A specialist typically identifies far more qualifying expenditure than a business owner would find alone — and their fee is usually paid from the claim itself.
HMRC has significantly increased scrutiny since 2022. Error rates in self-prepared claims are high enough that enquiry risk is real for businesses without specialist support. Our grader measures your audit risk position so you understand where you stand before taking any action.