What accounting documents will be needed?

Including a General Ledger Detail (sometimes called a nominal ledger) is increasingly important part of documentation for R&D tax relief claims. This includes financial details like invoices, accounts, and expenditure. HMRC will use this to verify your figures and assess risk.

You will need to compile the following documentation:

• Full CT600 and Corporation Tax computation – Figures from your company tax return
• Expense records – Details of all R&D-related costs, including invoices and payment records for materials, staff salaries, equipment, and eligible subcontractors
• Timesheets – Accurate records showing hours that your employees and contractors spent on qualifying R&D work
• Accounting records – Financial documents such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements
• Cost allocation – Evidence showing how costs were apportioned between qualifying R&D activities and general business operations
• Tax returns – Copies of relevant tax forms where your R&D tax relief is claimed
• Additional Information Form (AIF) – Mandatory from August 2023, this must be filed before or on the same day as your claim, detailing project descriptions and qualifying expenditure