Qualifying Expenditures

All R&D Tax Credit expenditure must be revenue in nature in order for it to qualify.

SME Scheme (Inception on 1 April 2000):

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 1 April 2000 to 5 April 2003:

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 6 April 2003 to 26 September 2003:

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 27 September 2003 to 31 March 2004:

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 1 April 2004 and expenditure incurred before 1 August 2008:

Qualifying expenditure for expenditure incurred from 1 August 2008

  • Staffing Costs
  • Consumable Items
  • Relevant payments to the subjects of a clinical trial
  • Sub-contracted R&D
  • Externally Provided Workers
  • Computer Software

Large Company Scheme (Inception on 1 April 2002):

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 1 April 2002 to 5 April 2003

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 6 April 2003 to 8 April 2003

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 9 April 2003 to 31 March 2004

Qualifying expenditure for accounting periods from 1 April 2004 and expenditure incurred before 1 April 2006

Qualifying expenditure for expenditure incurred from 1 April 2006
  • Staffing Costs
  • Consumable Items
  • Computer Software
  • Relevant payments to the subjects of a clinical trial
  • Restricted sub-contracted R&D
  • Contributions to Independent Research
  • Externally Provided Workers