Some SMEs are being left waiting up to six months for substantive updates from HMRC on R&D tax relief enquiries, reveals research commissioned by RCK Partners.

The report surveyed 254 chief financial officers at R&D-active SMEs that have claimed, or considered claiming, R&D tax relief over the past five years, examining the impact of recent reforms to the scheme and the resulting HMRC compliance activity.

Since 2023, the government has overhauled the R&D tax relief regime in an effort to reduce fraud and error. In the same year, the estimated amount of total R&D tax relief support claimed for the tax year was £7.6bn.

Among businesses that had faced an HMRC enquiry into an R&D tax relief claim since reforms began, 59% said they waited between four and six months for a substantive update from HMRC.