R&D tax in practice: A safer way to engage and why it matters

We’ve been exploring some of the key challenges shaping how firms approach R&D tax advice.

From the impact that reduced confidence has had on whether to offer the service, to the value of a well-reasoned “no”, and the reality that applying the rules in practice is rarely straightforward (something that has always been hard but has felt noticeably harder in the current environment).

These are not isolated issues. They are closely connected and a direct result of just how much R&D tax has changed.

Reform was needed. The level of error and fraud had to be addressed, and largely, that has happened. There is now more reviewing, more structure and clearer intent around how the scheme should operate but, all this disruption hasn’t come without consequence.

The turbulence of the last few years left many firms reassessing their appetite to deliver this service.

On its own, a firm withdrawing from R&D tax may seem inconsequential. But when that decision is repeated across the profession, with each firm under the assumption that it’s an isolated move, the cumulative effect becomes more significant than might have been anticipated.

When withdrawal happens at scale

When one firm decides to step back the impact is contained – it affects that firm and its clients. When this happens across the sector, it stops being isolated and starts becoming systemic.

Access to good R&D tax advice becomes more limited, but demand doesn’t disappear and clients still need support.

With fewer experienced advisers actively engaging in this area, the options available to them can become narrower, and not always aligned with their wider tax position.

That introduces a different risk. Not just for the claimant, but for the accountant too, because even where the work is carried out elsewhere, the outcome still feeds into the client’s overall tax affairs.

This raises a more fundamental question…

To what extent can firms afford to step away entirely from something that remains so closely connected to their clients’ tax position?

Of course, firms want to support their clients.

They want to identify opportunities and provide guidance where it’s appropriate. The gap isn’t intent – it’s having a controlled way to do it.

Where structure and support make the difference

Firms may be sitting on opportunities – they’re just not always being explored. Often because the route from “this might qualify” to a clear, well-reasoned decision doesn’t feel straightforward.

Having a structured way to approach those conversations means you can scope out a client’s position without committing significant time before viability is understood, and do so in a way that is both informed and transparent.

In practice this might look like:

raising R&D as part of wider client conversations

exploring eligibility in a structured way

sense-checking positions early, and

stopping where a claim is not viable (which is just as important as progressing one that is)

Where WhisperClaims fits into this picture…

At WhisperClaims, our focus has always been on supporting firms to apply the rules in a robust and compliant way – not by simplifying the work, but by putting structure and safeguards around it, so firms can engage with greater confidence.

That’s why our model combines structured software with access to experienced advisers through our Advice Line.

Importantly, our support isn’t limited to active claims. It’s there:

when you’re scoping an opportunity

when you’re unsure how to interpret a scenario

when you want to sense-check a position, or

when you’re deciding not to proceed

That means you’re not working in isolation, and you’re not committing time and effort before you’re confident it’s worth doing so.

R&D tax doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Stepping away entirely may have felt like the safest option, but in practice many firms are still involved in one way or another where claims exist… just not always in a way they feel comfortable with.

There is another way. One that allows you to engage with your clients and maintain control over the work you are connected to.

If you’re thinking about how R&D tax fits within your firm – whether for the first time or after stepping back – it may be worth seeing what a more structured supported approach looks like in practice.

We help firms apply the rules consistently, engage with confidence and identify early on when a claim should not proceed – avoiding wasted effort, managing client expectations from the outset, and supporting a clear path to either a robust, defensible claim, or a justified decision to stand down.

Have you stepped back from offering R&D tax advice?

Was it because of a lack of confidence to deliver the service?

If not offering R&D tax advice no longer feels like the right decision, we’re happy to show you what a more controlled, compliance-first approach looks like in practice.

Let’s talk it through