£÷×−+789C45=AccountingCompare
Free UK Tax Tool

R&D Tax Credit Estimator 2026/27

Estimate your R&D tax relief under the SME scheme or RDEC. Enter your qualifying R&D expenditure to see your potential tax benefit.

Updated April 2026🇬🇧 UK-specificFree Tool

About This R&D Tax Credit Estimator

This estimator calculates the potential R&D tax credit or relief available to UK companies under the SME R&D Relief scheme or the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme for larger companies.

Note: Based on 2026/27 HMRC R&D relief rates. SME enhanced deduction is 86% of qualifying costs; the payable credit rate is 10%. RDEC rate is 20%. Always seek specialist advice before making an R&D claim.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1Select your company size (SME or large company).
  2. 2Enter your qualifying R&D expenditure — staff costs, subcontractors, consumables, and software.
  3. 3The estimator applies the correct relief rate and shows the potential tax saving or payable credit.
  4. 4See a breakdown of qualifying costs and the estimated benefit.

R&D Details

Qualifying Expenditure
£30,000
£10,000
£5,000

Estimates only. R&D claims must meet HMRC's definition of qualifying R&D activity. Always use a specialist R&D tax advisor. Last updated: April 2026.

Estimated R&D Benefit
£9,675
Effective benefit rate: 21.5% of qualifying spend
Total Qualifying Spend
£45,000
Enhanced Deduction
£83,700
Net Benefit
£9,675

Calculation Breakdown

Total qualifying R&D expenditure£45,000
SME enhancement (86%)£38,700
Enhanced deduction£83,700
Tax saving (25% CT rate)£9,675

What Qualifies as R&D Expenditure?

Cost Type% QualifyingNotes
Staff costs100%Salary, NI, pension for R&D staff
Consumables100%Materials used in R&D process
Software100%Software used directly in R&D
Subcontractors (SME)65%65% of payments to unconnected parties
Cloud computing100%Compute, storage, data costs
Clinical trials100%Volunteer costs in clinical trials
Capital expenditure0%Not eligible (use AIA instead)