1. There are some new figures just out, 30th Sept 2025 (next ones due in a year): "
Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2025
here.
2. "The total support claimed through both R&D schemes for the tax year 2023 to 2024 is estimated to be £7.6 billion (figure 2 and table RD2). This is a decrease of 2% from last year’s total of £7.7 billion."
3. Broadly, the green and purple are SMEs . The lighter orange/red is large firms.
4. There is some explaination of these schemes here. Broadly, the RDEC is aimed at large companies, but some small ones claim.
5. One interesting point is that cloud computing and data expenses are now eligable, since April 2023. As usual ForrestBrown are on top of this. This is an evolving area, but their broad view is, I think, that cloud computing and data licenceing costs, if they are used in R&D, qualify for relief.
6. it is interesting how. much R&D tax credits have grown, they were around 4bn in 2016.
7. There is also the Patent Box This costs about £2bn, with 145 companies accounting for 92% of relief. It is very concentrated in manufacturing. Some excerpts:
"In financial year 2023 to 2024, it is estimated that the top 145 companies (by the value of the relief they receive each year) accounted for 92% of the relief."
"
in the financial year 2023 to 2024, it is provisionally estimated that 1,650 companies elected into the Patent Box regime.
the value of relief provided under the Patent Box is estimated to have increased to £1,977 million in the financial year 2023 to 2024 from £1,449 million in the financial year 2022 to 2023. This was driven by the change in the main rate of Corporation Tax from 19% to 25% on 1 April 2023
of the companies that elected into Patent Box in financial year 2023 to 2024, it is estimated that 28% were classified as ‘Large’ and accounted for most of the relief provided (95%)"
