R & D Tax credits for motorsport businesses

 HMRC have just released some statistics for R & D tax credits claimed by SME"s in tax year 2012-13. Amazingly there were only 12,975 claims report Harris & Co, the specialist motorsport accountants in Northampton  . The total value of the claims was a mere £600m.

Many businesses, especially those in the motorsport sector are clearly not claiming the relief.

As would be expected, manufacturing, information and communications and professional/scientific account for 77% of all claims. They claimed £490m in 2012-13, which is only about £49,000 per claim per business.

What is surprising is that 5% of all claims, worth some £25m, were claimed by admin/support service businesses. I find it hard to imagine how these businesses could possibly be carrying out work that fits the definition of qualifying R & D. Quite rightly HMRC are now starting to clamp down on potentially bogus claims.