Why more accountancy firms are looking beyond software in R&D tax

For many accountancy firms, the shift in the world of R&D tax has meant reassessing not only their appetite for R&D tax work, but also how they deliver it.

At the same time, clients have not stopped innovating, which means firms that can support R&D tax claims confidently and sustainably have a significant opportunity to strengthen client relationships and deliver valuable advisory services.

Increasingly, many are recognising the importance of using software to facilitate their service from a compliance and efficiency position, but software alone is not always enough.

Why software alone doesn’t always solve the problem

Software has an important role to play in modern R&D tax advisory. It can improve consistency, create structure, support evidence gathering, reduce administrative burden and help firms navigate increasingly complex legislative frameworks.

But software alone cannot remove uncertainty – particularly where legislation and guidance still require interpretation and judgement.

For example, questions like:

Does this project genuinely seek an advance in science or technology?

Does the level of uncertainty meet the threshold?

Is this subcontracted activity eligible under the merged scheme?

Is this cost treatment reasonable and defensible?

Does the narrative accurately reflect the work undertaken?

These are not always straightforward to answer, and they can often sit in grey areas where advisers may reach different conclusions.

For firms with dedicated in-house R&D teams and deeply embedded technical review processes, that support infrastructure will likely already exist, but many accountancy firms supporting R&D tax claims are not operating at that scale.

They may only handle a modest number of claims each year, have one or two individuals leading the work internally, or be looking to rebuild confidence in the area after stepping back during recent reforms.

So how can firms support this work confidently and sustainably, without needing to build an entire specialist department?

Why collaborative decision-making matters

No matter how experienced an adviser is, judgement can sometimes become shaped by familiarity, time pressure, previous outcomes or incomplete information.

That is not unique to R&D tax. It is simply part of being human.

And in areas where nuance exists, relying entirely on isolated judgement can create blind spots – particularly for firms that do not deal with these questions every day.

The value of support is not in being “given the answer”, but rather having someone alongside you who can challenge assumptions and help you look at the same facts through a different lens.

That becomes particularly important in firms where responsibility for R&D tax work sits with a small number of individuals – or even just one person.

This can create pressure, bottlenecks and operational vulnerability in a sector where uncertainty has increased, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant.

Why support matters more than ever

Expert support can help firms to explore uncertainty, test positions, challenge assumptions and build confidence in the decisions being made.

That is why, at WhisperClaims, access to our Advice Line is included as standard across all subscription models. Not as an add-on service, but as part of the overall framework firms use to prepare and assess claims.

Importantly, this is not about outsourcing decision-making.

Our users prepare their own claims. They apply their own professional judgement. They retain control of the client relationship.

But they also have access to experienced advisers who can help them work through edge cases, assess borderline claims, check reasoning and strengthen confidence in the positions being taken.

For many firms, particularly those without large, dedicated R&D teams, this collaborative support can make the difference between avoiding offering R&D tax advice entirely and feeling able to engage with it in a structured and commercially sustainable way.

Is your firm evaluating how it delivers R&D tax advice?

The regulatory changes in R&D tax have undoubtedly made the market harder to navigate. But they have also changed what many firms now need in order to participate confidently.

The firms best positioned going forward are unlikely to be those relying solely on individual expertise or informal processes.

If your firm is evaluating how it delivers R&D tax advice, WhisperClaims combines structured software with expert Advice Line support to help firms prepare claims compliantly, confidently and consistently.

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