Is R&D tax relief a grant?
No. R&D tax relief reduces corporation tax, or pays a credit, for research the company has already done. A grant is money for a project you are about to do, from a funder, with a budget. They are claimed differently, and a cost that was grant-funded is often excluded from the tax claim. This is not tax advice.
Also asked as: R&D tax credit vs grant · research and development tax relief UK · is a tax credit funding
| Grant | R&D tax relief | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Money for a future project | A tax rule on research you did |
| Who decides | The funder | HMRC, on the return |
| Find Grants | Can list the scheme and draft a form | Does not prepare the claim |
Can I have both?
Sometimes, on different costs. An accountant who knows the current R&D rules should look at the overlap. Find Grants does not prepare a tax claim.
Who is GrantTree in this?
GrantTree is known for R&D tax relief as well as grants. Find Grants is a grant check and an optional £99 draft. A tax credit and a grant are not interchangeable.
Schemes named here
- Innovate UK Smart grantInnovate UK · £25,000–£2,000,000 · A business · Up to 249 · Manufacturing, Digital and creative, Energy and environment, Professional services, Health and care · Closes 20 Jan 2027
- Knowledge Transfer PartnershipInnovate UK · Not a cash award · A business · 2 or more · Manufacturing, Digital and creative, Professional services, Health and care · No fixed date
Related
128 answers on this site. Find Grants checks which UK grants a business can get from a postcode or a place. Looking is free. If you want the application written, the fee is £99 for that one application, shown before you pay. Find Grants does not take a percentage of the grant, does not file the form, and is not part of GOV.UK. Confirm every scheme on the funder's own site.