Types of R&D tax relief

There are 2 different types of R&D tax relief, depending on the size of your company and if the project has been subcontracted to you or not.

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) R&D tax relief

You can claim SME R&D tax relief if you’re a SME with both of the following:

  • less than 500 staff
  • a turnover of under 100 million euros or a balance sheet total under 86 million euros

You will need to include partner and linked enterprises when you work out if you’re a SME.

R&D expenditure credit (RDEC)

Large companies can claim expenditure credit for working on R&D projects.

It can also be claimed by SMEs who have been subcontracted to do R&D work by a large company.