Champion passes £25m milestone in R&D claims

By TWA Marketing and Communications

25 Jul 2019

shutterstock_1119927341-resized.jpg

Champion Accountants has helped its SME clients secure £25m of tax relief through the government’s Research & Development (R&D) tax credit scheme.

The accountancy group, with practices in Manchester, Chester, Preston and Blackpool, maintains its 100 per cent success rate, with every R&D claim submitted to date resulting in a tax benefit or cash payment for its clients.

With an average claim size of £46,425, Champion Accountants’ tax and R&D specialists have submitted claims for clients operating in engineering, digital, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, food & drink, utilities and more.

Among its success stories is Kent-headquartered Aquaflow Services, which provides 24-hour emergency plumbing and drainage solutions for challenging environments, 365 days a year. Operating throughout the M25, Aquaflow Services’ work includes HMS Belfast and the Canada Square skyscraper in Canary Wharf, which was originally designed for 6,000 staff and now holds double this figure.

Having never considered R&D relief, despite having a number of eligible activities, Champion Accountants’ tax advisers identified a £575,000 R&D spend and successfully claimed back £150,000 in tax credits.

Keith Borrett, managing director at Aquaflow Services, explains: “Our last accountant had never told us about R&D and our eligibility to claim. Champion came highly recommended and they didn’t disappoint.

“The entire process was really simple. It’s made us rethink our R&D activities and we’re now having regular internal meetings to see what more we can do in terms of research and development and bring new innovative solutions to market.”

Another successful claim for Manchester-based Swinton Electro Plating identified £124,195 in qualifying R&D expenditure, resulting in a tax benefit of £35,933.

Godfrey Evans, managing director at Swinton Electro Plating, comments: “At first I was sceptical and worried about the amount of work that may have needed to be done by my team. From start to finish Champion made the entire process simple and have made us more aware of what we do on a day-to-day basis that can be used for future R&D claims.’’

Although HMRC figures indicate that claims under the SME R&D Relief Scheme are on the rise, Champion Accountants remain concerned that many businesses are missing out on the money they are entitled to.

David Herd, lead R&D tax adviser at Champion Accountants, added: “Although there’s increased awareness of R&D, we’re still seeing businesses come to us with misconceptions about what can be claimed. R&D isn’t just for people in lab coats and software developers. In fact, there are a whole host of qualifying activities where businesses are investing in innovative technologies and processes. We’ve an experienced and qualified tax team here at Champion, so if there is an eligible activity to be found, we will find it. 

“I’d advise anyone who is apprehensive about making a claim, to get in touch for a chat. We can advise quite quickly whether a claim is worth pursuing or not. There’s nothing to lose, and if successful, that’s money you can reinvest in your business to promote further innovation.”

Latest news

1

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans Waste recycling Blackpool

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans

01 Jul 2025

2

Graham Engineering confirms sale to a2e Industries Graham Engineering

Graham Engineering confirms sale to a2e Industries

01 Jul 2025

3

Training 2000 celebrates 'Good' rating by Ofsted Training 2000

Training 2000 celebrates 'Good' rating by Ofsted

01 Jul 2025

4

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons Colin Fisher, Paul Fox CEO and Gary Fisher.

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons

01 Jul 2025

5

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners Dean Curtis and Joe Diston

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners

01 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July
Chamber Logo1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
02 Jul 2025 - 02 Jul 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July

St John's Hospice, Slyne Road, Lancaster, LA2 6ST

08:00 - 10:00

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4
LBV Hub Seminars
04 Jul 2025 - 04 Jul 2025

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

08:30 - 11:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers
Champagne-Jewellery 10 07 25_page-0001.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, BB1 5AA

18:00 - 20:30

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast
talentreimaginedbb.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR71PS

08:00 - 10:30

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin