Ever since the introduction of the Mandatory Random Enquiry Programme (MREP), enquiries have become a standard part of submitting R&D tax relief claims.
No claim, no matter how eligible and well put together, is truly safe from an enquiry, although some are more defensible than others.
That is why we have created a dedicated enquiry defence service that can help you if you are currently facing down an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enquiry and need support.
What does the enquiry defence service do?
While the specifics of how we can help largely depend on the original R&D tax relief claim and the nature of the enquiry, the main purpose of our enquiry defence service is to defend eligible claims.
This is an easier task in cases where we have worked with innovative clients to compile their R&D tax relief claims, but we do also work with businesses that have had their claims prepared by others.
In cases where we did not prepare the original claim, we will need to work alongside you to establish the legitimacy of the claims so that we know whether they can be defended.
Once we have established the eligibility of a claim, we will then work to defend 100 per cent of the legitimate value of the claim.
Enquiries can often be frustrating as they represent delays in getting access to vital funds needed to keep innovation going.
Having expert support to defend your claim from enquiries can reduce the length of time enquiries take to process, as the exact nature of HMRC’s concerns can be addressed.
Will I always need enquiry defence support?
Unless HMRC radically change the way that R&D tax relief claims are processed, enquiry defence is going to be a necessity.
This does not mean that enquiries should just be passively tolerated.
We see enquiries as learning opportunities and encourage innovative businesses to do the same.
Over time, the types of red flags that are caught by HMRC become apparent and we can work to improve data collection and the composition of claims to better protect against future enquiries.
As you work alongside us, we will help you to improve your processes to make enquiry defence simpler.
While we cannot prevent enquiries from happening, we can work to make them as minimally disruptive as possible.
Don’t let enquiries disrupt your R&D tax relief claim. Speak to our team today for expert defence.
