How to Choose an R&D Tax Credit Specialist
Choose an R&D tax specialist on five things: technical people who understand your field, membership of a professional body, registration with HMRC as a tax adviser, clear written fees that include enquiry support, and a willingness to tell you which projects do not qualify. Avoid firms that guarantee amounts or pressure you to sign.
What should a good R&D tax specialist offer?
- Technical competence: people with a background in your field to interview your team and write the narrative
- Tax competence: qualified advisers who understand the merged scheme, ERIS, the PAYE cap and contracting rules
- Professional standards: membership of a body such as CIOT, ATT, ICAEW, ICAS, ACCA or CIMA, and adherence to Professional Conduct in Relation to Taxation
- HMRC registration: registration as a tax adviser under the regime phased in from May 2026
- Insurance: professional indemnity cover
- Transparent fees: written terms before you sign, including what happens in an enquiry
- Honesty: willing to leave out weak projects and explain why
Which questions should you ask?
- Who will work on our claim, and what is their technical background?
- Which professional body regulates you, and are you registered with HMRC?
- How do you charge, on what figure, and is there a minimum fee?
- Is HMRC enquiry support included, and for how long?
- How many claims did you prepare in our sector last year, and what share were checked by HMRC?
- Will you show us every figure and the reasoning before we submit?
- How do you work with our accountant?
- Can we end the engagement, and what do we owe if we do?
How do R&D tax specialists charge?
Specialists usually charge in one of three ways: a percentage of the relief obtained, a fixed fee agreed in advance, or a mix of a smaller fixed fee and a lower percentage. Percentage fees align the adviser with the size of the claim, which some argue encourages over-claiming; fixed fees give certainty but you pay even if the claim is small. Read our fees guide for how to compare quotes.
What are the red flags?
- Cold calls or emails promising a guaranteed refund or a figure before seeing your projects
- No technical interview, just a questionnaire
- Pressure to sign quickly or to include routine work
- Contracts with long tie-ins, exit penalties or extra charges for enquiries
- Requests to have the payment sent to the adviser's bank account; HMRC can pay your company directly
- Unwillingness to name the professional body or confirm HMRC registration
Specialist or accountant?
A specialist adds most value for first claims, technical or borderline projects, ERIS claims and anything involving contractors or connected companies. An accountant with R&D experience may be enough for small, simple repeat claims. Many companies use both.
How can we help?
We only introduce firms that meet our panel criteria, which cover the points above. You can still ask each firm the questions on this page, and we encourage you to.
Sources
What types of R&D tax adviser are there?
| Type | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist R&D tax firm | Technical writers and sector knowledge, enquiry experience | Fee terms, quality varies widely between firms |
| Accountancy firm R&D team | Joined up with your accounts and tax return | Depth of technical knowledge in your field |
| Generalist accountant | Knows your numbers, often lower cost | May rely on you for the technical case |
| Online claim platform | Low cost, quick for simple claims | Limited technical challenge, enquiry support terms |
How do you check an adviser's credentials?
- Ask which professional body the firm or its advisers belong to, then check the member directory on that body's website
- Ask for confirmation of HMRC tax adviser registration under the rules phased in from May 2026
- Ask who supervises them for anti-money laundering
- Ask for proof of professional indemnity insurance
- Look for independent reviews on platforms such as Google and read the negative ones too
- Ask for an example technical report with client details removed
What should an engagement letter include?
An engagement letter should set out the scope of work, the fee formula, any minimum fee, what happens if HMRC reduces or refuses the claim, whether enquiry support is included and for how long, who is responsible for the return, how data will be handled, how to complain and how to end the engagement. If any of these are missing, ask for them in writing before you sign.
Percentage or fixed fee: which is better?
Neither is always better. A percentage fee means you pay nothing if the claim does not succeed, which suits first claims and companies with tight cash flow. A fixed fee gives certainty and removes any incentive to inflate the claim, which suits repeat claims with predictable scope. Whichever model you choose, check the figure the fee is calculated on (gross credit or net benefit), whether it applies to amounts later clawed back, and whether enquiry work is included.
How should you compare quotes?
- Ask each firm for its fee at three claim sizes: low, expected and high.
- List what each quote includes: technical report, AIF, liaison with your accountant, enquiry support.
- Compare the people: who interviews your team and what is their background?
- Ask each firm which of your projects it would leave out and why.
The answer to the last question is often the most revealing. A firm willing to exclude weak projects is protecting you.
What does good communication look like?
Good communication means a named contact, a clear timetable, drafts sent for your review before submission, and plain explanations of every figure. You should never be asked to sign a claim you have not seen in full.
What if you are unhappy with your current adviser?
If you are unhappy, check your engagement letter for notice periods and any fees due on exit, ask for copies of all working papers and correspondence, and consider an independent claim review before switching. You can change agent with HMRC at any time.
Why use a matching service?
A matching service saves you finding and vetting firms yourself. We introduce firms that meet our panel criteria and match on sector, so the first conversation is with someone who already understands your type of work. You can still ask every question on this page, and we encourage you to.
What should you ask in the first call?
- What do you understand about our technical work so far, and which projects sound strongest?
- Which projects would you be cautious about, and why?
- Who will interview our engineers or scientists, and what is their background?
- How will you apportion staff time, and what records do you need?
- What is your fee, on what figure, and is there a minimum?
- What happens, and what do we pay, if HMRC opens a compliance check?
- How many claims like ours have you prepared, and how did HMRC checks on them go?
- When would you expect us to file, given our year end?
How does HMRC view agents?
HMRC has made clear that the company, not the agent, is responsible for its claim, and it has focused compliance work on claims prepared by some agents. HMRC publishes standards for agents and, from May 2026, requires tax advisers who interact with it on clients' behalf to register. A specialist who welcomes questions about their standards and registration is a good sign.
How long should a claim take?
A well run claim for a typical SME takes a few weeks of elapsed time from the first technical interview to sign-off, with a few hours of your team's time. Be wary of a firm that promises a finished claim in days without speaking to your technical leads, and equally of one that cannot give you a timetable.
What does a good technical report look like?
A good technical report is written in plain language, organised by project, and for each one explains the baseline, the advance sought, the uncertainties, the work done and the outcome. It names the competent professional, links costs to projects and avoids marketing language. You should be able to give it to your own engineers and have them agree with every sentence.
Five signs of a good R&D tax specialist
- They ask detailed technical questions before discussing any figures.
- They tell you which projects they would leave out.
- They put the fee, scope and enquiry terms in writing without being asked twice.
- They explain every figure in the claim in plain English.
- They can name their professional body and confirm HMRC registration.
Five signs to walk away
- A guaranteed refund figure before anyone has looked at your projects.
- Pressure to sign the same day or to commit for several years.
- No technical interview, only a form.
- A request to route HMRC's payment through their account.
- Vague answers about who will do the work and what happens in an enquiry.
What does a fair contract look like?
A fair contract covers one claim or a short fixed term, lets you leave with reasonable notice, sets out the fee formula clearly, says what happens if HMRC reduces the claim, and includes or prices enquiry support. Long automatic renewals and large exit fees are warning signs.
Get matched
If you would rather not search alone, tell us about your company and we will introduce up to three panel firms that fit your sector. You can compare them using the questions on this page.
What about data security and confidentiality?
An R&D specialist will see your payroll, contracts and technical details, which may include trade secrets. Ask how they store and share documents, who will have access, how long they keep your data, and whether they will sign a confidentiality agreement. A professional firm should have clear answers and a privacy notice. Avoid sending sensitive information by unsecured email where a secure portal is available.
Should you stay with the same specialist every year?
Continuity helps, because a specialist who knows your projects can prepare repeat claims faster and keep them consistent. It is still worth reviewing the relationship every couple of years: check that fees remain fair, that the firm still challenges weak projects, and that your claims have stood up to any HMRC questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is a no win, no fee R&D adviser a bad sign?
Not in itself. Many reputable firms charge on results. What matters is that the fee and enquiry terms are clear and the firm is willing to leave out weak projects.
Should the refund be paid to the adviser?
We recommend that HMRC pays your company directly. If an adviser asks to receive the payment, ask why.
How many firms should we speak to?
Two or three is usually enough to compare approach and fees. We introduce up to 3.
Get matched with a vetted R&D tax specialist
Tell us what you do and roughly what you spend on development. We check the basics, then introduce you to a specialist from our panel whose sector experience fits your work.
- Free to use, with no obligation to appoint anyone
- Introductions only to firms that meet our panel criteria
- Fee terms in writing from the firm before you sign anything
- We flag claim deadlines we can see from your answers
Our matching service is free for businesses. Specialist firms on our panel pay us a fee when we introduce a business to them. That fee does not change the price a firm quotes you, and you are never obliged to appoint anyone we introduce.