Approved Tax have been members of The R&D Community for a little while now, since November 2023, so we spoke to R&D Manager Joe Darby to get his views on membership.

He emphasised how better knowledge of the scheme and improved internal processes have positively impacted the business. Over time, incremental changes have led to major steps forwards for Approved Tax and their clients.

So, what’s been the key to their success?

Stronger R&D Claims with Better Client Collaboration

The team at Approved has significantly improved their approach by building long-term relationships and educating clients on R&D tax schemes. They’ve started working collaboratively with their clients as they run R&D projects in real-time, consistently leading to better documentation and a stronger case for tax relief.

The most important change, Joe explained, was through conducting regular reviews with clients. These meetings help determine eligibility and track costs that are hard to spot on balance sheets. Clients are encouraged to contact the team before starting any projects where R&D might be necessary, ensuring plenty of evidence is available for HMRC.

Clients have also seen positive changes through detailed feedback after a claim is prepared. This process helps clients understand eligibility better and stay updated with changing legislation. Joe told us,

We want to ensure all our clients are regularly keeping up to date with any changes in HMRC legislation, and ensure they are rehearsed in the BEIS Guidelines and GfC3. It’s very important the client understands the difference between R&D vs R&D for tax purposes.

With a small team of six, having clients who are well-versed in the guidance is invaluable.

This proactive approach also reduces the number of inquiries from HMRC and allows clients to prepare and submit R&D claims in their original tax returns for faster payouts and more accurate tax assessments.

This feedback loop gives both sides more confidence in claim quality, making it easier to handle enquiries.

That also means when we do have to handle an enquiry, it’s a lot easier because the client knows exactly what they’re claiming for and why, they can defend their own case with HMRC as a competent professional.

A Boost in Confidence to back up High-Quality Advice

Last year, Joe took part in the first cohort of the Certification in R&D Tax Relief. This is offered to members at a discounted rate. He says,

I learnt more from certification than I thought I would. I was left thinking ‘I’m a much better consultant than I was previously – I feel a lot more confident and comfortable with clients afterwards’.

One of the knock-on effects that he noticed was his change in perspective on those proactive quarterly meetings.

We’ve always offered the quarterly reviews as a sales thing – to add value and compete with others. But now I’m much more proactive about it and catching up and calling them. It’s accelerated the way we’ve used it, and it’s become a really integral part of the process and of the client relationships we have.

Improving Standards Internally through re-vamped Training Sessions

With all the resources of The R&D Community at hand for the team, Joe can now add value with regular discussion sessions with the staff. They look at things like baseline knowledge, the Merged Scheme, and ethics and marketing, building on what they’ve learned through the training courses.

For Joe, it’s not just about improving their own efficacy. They’re also thinking about the bigger industry picture. He told us,

If we are to raise standards in the R&D advisory industry, it is important each consultant understands HMRC’s Standard for Agents and PCRT. When dealing with potential new clients, it became clear some of them were poorly advised about their previous R&D tax relief claims. Therefore, alerting them to errors in their previous tax returns and advising them to correct their tax affairs is something we are very clear on.

This adherence to PCRT, or the slightly shorter Standard for Agents that HMRC has produced, is part of what distinguishes responsible R&D firms from the rest.

Lots of advisors struggle with saying no to prospects who have weak claims, or whose work simply doesn’t qualify. Joe explained how this has changed for his team:

Understanding PCRT makes that conversation easier because even though it’s not great news, the client has confidence in your advice because of your knowledge. They appreciate that it comes from this more tangible source, and can feel like they’re in safer hands.

Many advisors are finding clients care more about working with a company aligned with HMRC’s approach, and believe this will reduce the severity of any negative outcomes. For the Approved Tax team, starting off client relationships with this focus on ethics and standards makes it easy for them to filter out prospects with the wrong motivations.

Improve Client Satisfaction with R&D Training and Support

Thinking about how to provide better value for your clients just like the Approved Tax team? The key is right here.

Watch our free demo to uncover how The R&D Community membership can help you deliver exceptional service to your clients, and then sign up today to start making a strides with your team.