R&D tax relief for architects, by architects.

Is your practice putting the cart before the horse?

Many architecture practices rely on accountants to produce their R&D tax relief claims, with an architect only checking the finished draft. In this article Andy Hastie explains why this process is back to front and how Invennt’s approach helps firms get more value from the scheme.
The Government’s R&D tax relief schemes (R&D tax credits and R&D expenditure credit) financially support businesses which develop innovative solutions to technical challenges or advance knowledge through research. As a central pilar of Britain’s knowledge economy, architecture is fertile ground for qualifying activity and practices of all sizes and specialisms have taken advantage of the scheme, granting them the financial flexibility to push the envelope and forge ahead with innovative new designs.

Despite this, many firms find the process arduous, overlook qualifying expenditure and submit supporting information to HMRC that raises more questions than it answers. This is partly because the R&D guidance needs to cover the full spectrum of the British economy, including everything from pharmaceuticals to video games. But it’s also because firms put the cart before the horse, preparing claims with accountants and asking a professional with relevant knowledge of the discipline to check them afterwards.

But when preparing an R&D tax credit claim, the toughest nut to crack is demonstrating beyond doubt that the work undertaken is eligible under HMRC’s rules. Naturally, there is a science to quantifying the costs, but in knowledge industries where most of the eligible expenditure is people’s time (and especially in industries where staff record billable hours) this is a relatively straightforward exercise.

This unrivalled industry knowledge, alongside the specialist tax expertise of our wider team is a winning formula. Especially when paired with our proprietary thematic analysis and eDiscovery technology, which allows our clients to provide project documentation in bulk, without having to trawl through it for relevant supporting evidence.

The result is a claim that is well-evidenced, robustly prepared and leaves nothing on the table. But don’t just take our word for it, Mark White, Practice Manager at Adam Architecture said this of our approach, “Invennt guided us through their well organised process to deliver the output we needed in a very efficient manner. I would strongly recommend their services.” So, if you need an R&D tax credit claim done properly, ask an architect. Don’t put the cart before the horse.

Next Steps

If you’re already claiming, I encourage you to contact me to explore whether we can improve the process or result. If your practice isn’t claiming, please contact me to book a free exploratory review. Our fee is contingent on the benefit you receive, so the only risk from starting the process is a few hours of your team’s time.