The R&D ‘Additional Information Form’ is proving time-consuming, one month on from its introduction

A major change to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) R&D tax legislation is proving onerous for accountancy firms across the UK one month on from its introduction.

On 8 August, HMRC implemented the Additional Information Form (AIF), which must be submitted in advance of a claim made within a company’s Corporation Tax return.

The AIF mandates authorised agents, via their ASA login, to upload information about the claiming company, to name anyone who has been involved in the preparation of the claim and requires a minimum and maximum number of projects to be included along with the inclusion of costs on a project-by-project basis. An AIF is essential for HMRC to process a claim.

However, within the first month of the AIF going live, HMRC has been forced to reject 50 per cent of claims as they did not include this vital information.

WhisperClaims’ software, Advice Line and support channels help firms to confidently prepare R&D claims effectively by introducing a repeatable structure and framework to guide and support advisors.

This ensures they stay on the right side of HMRC’s increasing scrutiny of the scheme, including the AIF.

WhisperClaims has developed a solution to reduce the administrative burden of completing the AIF, with an output that maps the structure of the AIF allowing for easy copy and paste straight into the form.

This combination of software and support has enabled accountancy firms across the UK to add an R&D service to their portfolio, where it was not previously possible.

To help firms and claimants with the AIF reforms, WhisperClaims is continuing to issue new guidance and support, so please stay in touch.