Open nowR&D & innovationVerified 31 Aug 2026

R&D Tax Relief (merged RDEC scheme)

HM Revenue & Customs

Check if you qualifyFree · 60 seconds · no sign-up

Worth

Varies

Deadline

Rolling - no fixed deadline

What it is

Taxable credit on qualifying R&D — 20% above-the-line (~15% net benefit at 25% CT).

Re-verified 2026-08-31 on HMRC's merged-scheme guidance: merged RDEC credit rate is 20% above the line, with an approximate 15% net benefit at 25% Corporation Tax. No fixed per-claim cash ceiling is published; value depends entirely on qualifying R&D spend, and payable credits may be restricted by the PAYE/NIC cap for loss-making claimants. capture is deliberately no-headline-£ (fixed 0) so GovOwed does not invent a £ maximum.

Official source

Does your business qualify?

Eligibility rules are where schemes get fiddly. GovOwed checks your business against R&D Tax Relief (merged RDEC scheme) — and every other UK scheme we track — in about 60 seconds, free. The £29 report then explains exactly why you qualify, drafts your answers and walks you through the real application step by step.

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Information, not financial advice; eligibility is decided by the funder. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Schemes change — confirm details on the official page before applying.