If you’ve received an HMRC enquiry letter about your R&D tax credit (R&D tax relief) claim, you know it can threaten your hard-won funding. Don’t face it alone. Our R&D Tax Enquiry Defence service helps UK businesses protect their innovation incentives, handling every step, from HMRC correspondence and technical justification writing to full tribunal support, so you keep the R&D tax relief you deserve.
Full Enquiry Handling: We manage the entire HMRC enquiry process from start to finish on your behalf, sparing you the hassle.
HMRC Correspondence: All communication with HMRC is handled by our experts, ensuring the right information (and nothing harmful) is conveyed in a timely manner.
Technical Justification Writing: Our PhD-led team prepares robust technical reports and responses that clearly demonstrate how your projects meet HMRC’s R&D criteria.
Tribunal Support: In the unlikely event your case proceeds to a tax tribunal, we provide experienced representation and guidance through appeals to fight for your claim’s full value.
Contact our team now for a free consultation and let us safeguard your R&D tax credits from enquiry risks.
As innovation tax specialists, our track record speaks for itself. We resolve HMRC inquiries with unmatched success rates that outperform industry averages:
Only 3% of our clients’ R&D claims ever trigger an HMRC enquiry (versus ~17% nationally). Our meticulous claim preparation dramatically lowers your risk of being investigated.
Only 23% of challenged claims with us end up reduced in value, compared to ~33% nationally
70% of HMRC enquiries we defend result in the full claim being accepted with no reduction, and just 7% of cases are completely lost. By contrast, most firms see the majority of enquiry cases pared back or denied– our clients enjoy far better odds.
What do these numbers mean for you? Simply put, you are much more likely to keep every pound of your R&D tax credit when we’re in your corner, and far less likely to even face an enquiry in the first place. We take pride in a proactive approach that prevents issues and a robust defence that delivers results.
An HMRC compliance check on your R&D claim is not a routine audit – it can have serious financial and operational consequences if mishandled. Without expert defence, you could face months of stressful back-and-forth that delay your credit and disrupt your business. Even worse, if HMRC finds errors or deems parts of your claim ineligible, they can demand a clawback of the tax relief you received – potentially tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds repaid, plus interest. In some cases HMRC may levy hefty fines for incorrect claims. Beyond the immediate hit to your cash flow, there’s a reputational risk: being flagged for a problematic R&D claim can put you on HMRC’s radar and cast doubt on your company’s compliance record. In short, an enquiry gone wrong could cost you money, time, and credibility.
The good news: these R&D tax enquiry defence outcomes are largely avoidable with the right expertise. Our job is to shield you from these consequences – keeping HMRC’s scrutiny from turning into financial loss or damage to your reputation.
An HMRC compliance check on your R&D claim is not a routine audit – it can have serious financial and operational consequences if mishandled. Without expert defence, you could face months of stressful back-and-forth that delay your credit and disrupt your business. Even worse, if HMRC finds errors or deems parts of your claim ineligible, they can demand a clawback of the tax relief you received – potentially tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds repaid, plus interest. In some cases HMRC may levy hefty fines for incorrect claims. Beyond the immediate hit to your cash flow, there’s a reputational risk: being flagged for a problematic R&D claim can put you on HMRC’s radar and cast doubt on your company’s compliance record. In short, an enquiry gone wrong could cost you money, time, and credibility.
The good news: these R&D tax enquiry defence outcomes are largely avoidable with the right expertise. Our job is to shield you from these consequences – keeping HMRC’s scrutiny from turning into financial loss or damage to your reputation.
Get To Know
Our Enquiry Defence team combines scientific expertise with tax savvy to build ironclad R&D claim defences. All of our R&D tax enquiry defence work is handled by a select team of PhD-qualified scientists and engineers, alongside experienced tax consultants. This means your claim is in the hands of people who deeply understand both cutting-edge technical innovation and HMRC’s reporting standards. We know exactly what qualifies as R&D in HMRC’s eyes and how to present it in line with their guidelines. Our specialists speak the same language as your developers and researchers and the language of tax compliance – a crucial dual perspective that less qualified advisors simply can’t offer.
“With our technical backgrounds and HMRC-specific expertise, we quickly pinpoint exactly what HMRC needs to see. We clearly demonstrate your project’s advances and uncertainties, leaving no detail overlooked. Our experience means we anticipate questions before they arise, ensuring the best outcome every time.”
– Dr. Chrysi Karagiannaki, Senior R&D Tax Consultant
Our Enquiry Defence team combines scientific expertise with tax savvy to build ironclad R&D claim defences. All of our R&D tax enquiry defence work is handled by a select team of PhD-qualified scientists and engineers, alongside experienced tax consultants. This means your claim is in the hands of people who deeply understand both cutting-edge technical innovation and HMRC’s reporting standards. We know exactly what qualifies as R&D in HMRC’s eyes and how to present it in line with their guidelines. Our specialists speak the same language as your developers and researchers and the language of tax compliance – a crucial dual perspective that less qualified advisors simply can’t offer.
“With our technical backgrounds and HMRC-specific expertise, we quickly pinpoint exactly what HMRC needs to see. We clearly demonstrate your project’s advances and uncertainties, leaving no detail overlooked. Our experience means we anticipate questions before they arise, ensuring the best outcome every time.”
– Dr. Chrysi Karagiannaki, Senior R&D Tax Consultant
We've had an excellent experience collaborating with FI Group. Their team of consultants demonstrated proficiency in evaluating and comprehending our innovative wave energy technology, leading to a comprehensive technical report that played a significant role in securing our R&D tax credit repayment.
The smoothest way to work on R&D Tax Credit – not only are they experts of the subject but also sectors specialists; FI Group could get all the technical elements of our business by themselves leading to a successful and remarkable result.
Giuseppe Amoroso from FI group did our R&D tax claim and successfully submitted on our behalf of OxDevice. Excellent team work in Submitting the claim.