Research and development plays a vital role to play in business development. From today, small and medium businesses (SMEs) can make use of extra practical support and guidance from HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Trade and Industry to advance their R&D activities.
The UK Revenue and Customs says it is making it easier for small and medium business to claim R&D tax credits by opening a network of seven new specialist R&D tax credit units across the country
The units will conduct outreach work, visiting companies to help them identify areas of the business that could benefit from R&D tax credits and working with them to write applications.
Since tax credits were introduced in April 2000 more than £1.8 billion has been claimed
The units will also act as a point of contact for businesses wanting to enquire about R&D tax credits and will be run by staff who have received specialist training.
The units are located in: Cambridge, Croydon, Leicester, Maidstone, Manchester, Southampton and Cardiff, which will act as central hub for dedicated teams of officers covering Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.