Honest Comparisons
There are several credible routes to a compliant UK R&D tax credit claim. Each of the comparisons below is factual and balanced. We name what each competitor does well before describing where Uplift Tax fits differently. The goal is to help you pick the right fit, not to disparage anyone.
Not Sure Who Fits Best?
The free Uplift Tax assessment takes ten minutes and will give you an honest signal on whether a network specialist, a larger consultancy or a platform is the right route for your situation.
Request Your Free AssessmentFrequently Asked Questions
ForrestBrown is a single consultancy founded in 2013 with in-house Chartered Institute of Taxation advisers, positioned toward mid-size and larger claims. EmpowerRD combines a claim-management software platform with adviser review, suited to finance teams that prefer a structured workflow. Both work within the same HMRC rules; the difference is delivery model, not compliance standard.
No. Uplift Tax's assessment is free and the introduction to a specialist is on a no-win, no-fee basis; the specialist's fee (not Uplift Tax's) is charged only from successfully recovered funds.
Not necessarily. A named consultancy with in-house tax counsel suits companies facing a complex HMRC enquiry or a large, technically novel claim. A smaller or specialist-matched route can suit companies that want a sector specialist without consultancy overhead. The right fit depends on claim size, complexity and how much your finance team wants to manage directly.
The same HMRC rules apply to every provider. For accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2024, the merged scheme gives a 20% above-the-line credit; loss-making, R&D-intensive SMEs (spending at least 30% of total expenditure on R&D) can instead claim under Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS) at a higher net rate.
Yes. A free Uplift Tax assessment can be requested regardless of whether you have an existing adviser; the site's contact form has a dedicated field for naming a previous adviser, including ForrestBrown, EmpowerRD, Leyton, Kene Partners, Source Advisors and others.
Uplift Tax reviews your company profile directly (R&D, Capital Allowances and Land Remediation Relief together) and matches you to one HMRC-registered specialist from a curated network, rather than only listing options for you to research yourself.