The HMRC definition is complex, so we always encourage people to have a discussion with one of our staff about it in more detail... but, to put it simply, the biggest hurdle to qualifying for R&D Tax Credits is that a company must be seeking to make an appreciable advance in the industry, relating to science or technology. So, no matter what industry your business is in, if you're using science and technology to develop brand new game-changing products or parts, or develop new processes, you're along the right lines. Researching and developing new beers for your pub menu using tried and tested products and methods, simply put, isn't R&D under HMRC's definition.
