There are just weeks left until HMRC’s Additional Information Forms become mandatory – are you ready?
The R&D Community
It used to be that all you needed for an R&D claim was a revised CT600 and a technical report.
From 1 August 2023, this won’t be sufficient. You now need to complete an Additional Information Form before you submit the revised CT600. If you don’t, the claim will be immediately rejected!
What do you need to do RIGHT NOW to get ready for Additional Information Forms?
Even if you’re already a CT agent, you need to register for an Agent Services Account to access the new form. For most, this should be quite quick. But if you’re not already an agent with HMRC and AML registered, it can take weeks rather than hours! The form itself is long and complex, and you may need to adapt your claims process to be able to answer the questions fully.
To help you get ready, we’ve built a brand-new course “How to complete HMRC’s Additional Information Forms.” It’s included in our training academy, available to .
Do you need to take training to complete the new Additional Information Forms?
Since HMRC haven’t released much guidance, you might think that your existing knowledge of R&D tax relief is sufficient, and that taking training is a waste of time and money.
For some, that might be true! However, we think that for most people, the training will offer some competitive advantages.
1. You’ll be ready and prepared to use the new forms much faster.
If you’re very organised, you may have brought forward some claims to submit in July, even if the deadlines aren’t until later in the year.
But even with the best will in the world, this isn’t always possible. Reticent clients, unexpected time off, and last-minute emergencies could mean you can’t submit a claim early. That could leave you with just a few short weeks to adapt to the new forms. When you’re under pressure, and pushed for time, it doesn’t feel great to be “winging it.”
We’ve spent months getting to grips with the form so that you don’t have to! Our step-by-step training course can help you prepare in just a day or two. Save yourself time, and a lot of stress, by taking advantage of the work we’ve already done for you!
2. You’ll be confident your claims will stand up to increased scrutiny
HMRC have created the new form to level the playing field for advisors. Previously, they relied on technical reports for additional details, but the quality of these varied wildly.
With the new forms, technical and financial information will now be submitted in a consistent format, which will streamline the process for HMRC caseworkers who are deciding whether to open enquiries.
This means all claims will be subjected to a higher level of scrutiny! This is great news for the industry, as standards will rise, and bad actors will be forced out. But it can also be challenging because it’s a meaningful change in expectations.
The detailed training we’ve put together can reassure you and your team members that you aren’t increasing risk through misunderstandings or old habits.
3. You’ll be able to ask questions and get quick, helpful answers
Trying to get hold of HMRC is pretty impossible these days – not great news if you have questions about these new forms!
With tight deadlines, and the pressure of getting it right, it’s incredibly stressful to feel like you’ve been left to figure it all out on your own. As well as the training course, our members have access to .
When you can’t count on a timely response from HMRC, having another option might be the difference between feeling cool, calm and collected vs several weeks of sleepless nights. If you decide to , our team of experts can field questions from you and your team, about the form, the training, and the specifics of your clients’ claims.
What’s covered in the training course?
We’ve built our new course “How to complete HMRC's Additional Information Forms” to cover every detail you need to know about the forms. Topics include:
- Accessing the Additional Information form
- Completing the 3 main sections - Business details,Contact and agent details, and Details of claim.
- Period of account, QIAs and SME/RDEC rules
- The Industry Baseline
- The Advance in Science or Technology
- The Scientific or Technological Uncertainties
- Technical narratives
The course contains 18 short videos with screenshots of the form, real examples, and explanatory diagrams. Each one is followed by an assessment to make sure you’re learning the key facts.
The course also contains two templates, which give you a line-by-line structure for the two trickiest sections – the Industry Baseline, and the Scientific or Technological Uncertainties.
To take the course, you need to . Membership start from £150+VAT per month and grants access to this course, plus the rest of our training academy and our support services – including the R&D Helpline. There’s no fixed-term contract, so you can explore all our training and services and get involved in our Members Forum before you decide to sign up your whole team or stay long term. Head to our website to see all the terms and conditions and other benefits of membership. You can also grab our Prospectus to share with your team.
Still on the fence?
If you have any R&D claims due later this year, now is the time to:
- Register for an Agent Services Account,
- Review the Additional Information Form,
- Make sure your clients know what to expect,
- Prepare the detailed information you’ll need to complete the form.
You can spend weeks figuring it out for yourself, risk mistakes and lose sleep. Or you can save yourself the hassle and take our new training course “How to complete HMRC's Additional Information Forms.” We’ll leave the decision up to you!
