HMRC have started writing letters to some companies that have been making claims for Research and Development (R&D) relief suggesting that they may be fraudulent. This is the result of the system being abused by some spurious claims, but the tone of the letter may alarm some recipients.
The HMRC Fraud Investigations Services unit has made the
following statement
“We
have recently seen some concerning claims. To prevent abuse of the Research
& Development relief and protect legitimate customers, we have conducted
additional checks. Where evidence leads us to believe that fraudulent claims
may have been made, we will issue these letters which ask for more information
to help verify the claims.
We
have not written to R&D claimants accusing them of fraud. These letters
state that we have not opened a criminal investigation into suspected fraud but
reserve the right to do so.”
The letter invites recipients to get in touch with HMRC
within 30 days if they believe their claim is genuine. It warns that anything a
company might say to HMRC about their claim could be used as evidence in
respect of any future criminal investigation.
