Web Development

BC&A Innovation

R&D Spotlight

Web development is no longer just about building websites. Today’s web platforms are expected to be fast, secure, scalable, and interactive, often integrating with third-party systems, handling real-time data, or delivering advanced user experiences. If your team is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible online, there’s a good chance you’re carrying out qualifying research and development (R&D).

To qualify for R&D tax relief, your work must go beyond basic website building or styling. It must involve seeking to achieve a scientific or technological advancement, such as improving performance, functionality, security, or integration beyond what is already commercially available or easily achievable. You’ll also need to face technical uncertainty—problems where the outcome isn’t clear from the start, and existing solutions aren’t readily available.

If your web development projects involve experimentation, problem-solving, or technical challenges, you may be eligible for R&D tax relief. Here are some examples of qualifying activities:

Developing Bespoke Web Platforms

Building custom platforms from scratch, such as membership systems, online marketplaces, or web applications that go beyond standard content management systems, often requires solving unique technical challenges.

Overcoming Performance and Scalability Challenges

Optimising web applications to handle large volumes of traffic, data processing, or transactions without compromising performance or user experience can involve significant technical effort.

Building Complex Integrations with Third-Party Systems

Creating seamless integrations with external APIs, payment gateways, legacy systems, or complex databases often requires overcoming compatibility issues and performance limitations.

Solving Cross-Browser or Cross-Device Compatibility Issues

Ensuring advanced features work consistently across multiple browsers, operating systems, and devices can involve technical research and problem-solving, particularly for highly interactive or data-heavy web applications.

Developing Custom Security Features

Building or enhancing security measures such as secure authentication systems, data encryption, or protection against cyber threats that go beyond standard plugins or libraries may qualify as R&D.

Implementing Advanced User Interfaces or Experiences

Developing real-time features like live chat, interactive dashboards, or data visualisation tools that require new approaches to front-end or back-end development could also qualify.

Leveraging Emerging Web Technologies

Experimenting with new technologies such as WebAssembly, progressive web apps (PWAs), headless CMS architectures, or serverless computing to achieve unique functionality may involve technical uncertainties that qualify as R&D.

Web development is an area where technology moves fast, and client expectations are higher than ever. If you’re breaking new ground with your projects, it’s worth exploring whether your business could benefit from R&D tax relief.

Our Process

What to expect when working with
BC&A Innovation

1. Discovery Call

Book your FREE 15 minute discovery call today to discuss your R&D activity and we'll guide you on best next steps and estimated claim value.

2. Information gathering

Our technical experts and industry specialists will work with you to uncover all areas of work activity eligible under the R&D scheme, ensuring we have everything we need to support a robust, defensible and maximised claim.

3. Create R&D Tax Claim

Our technical experts will write your claim and supporting documents with a clear assessment of your eligible activity and costs, ensuring compliance with the scheme's governance throughout.

4. Approval & Submission

We'll share, for your approval, the claim draft and supporting documentation. We'll explain in detail how we have arrived at our assessment of your claimable activity, costs and claim value. When you're happy, your claim can be submitted as part of your standard end-of-year processes.

5. Liaising with HMRC

Should HMRC require any further information or have queries regarding your claim, we'll liaise with them to ensure speedy payment without any reduction in claim value.

6. Payment

Once your payment is received, we'll send it across the same working day and advise you on processes that can be put in place to make future claims even more hassle-free. Don't worry about claims going forward, we'll be in regular contact to remind you what is needed and when.

About BC&A Innovation

We've helped hundreds of businesses like yours secure millions in Research & Development tax relief

Our team recognises the importance of R&D in advancing UK businesses, big and small, and we understand the time burden, resources and complexities of claiming tax relief for that R&D. These constraints often leave companies failing to get the tax relief they’re entitled to or underclaiming significantly due to unclear, often confusing guidelines about what constitutes R&D. As experts in R&D tax relief, we’re here to unblur the lines and create robust, defensible and maximised claims on your behalf.

We’re experienced tax professionals, accountants and technical experts with a deep understanding of the R&D tax relief regulations. We’ve worked in many of the industries we now serve and are ideally placed to understand your business’ R&D Activities. As part of HMRC’s panel on R&D, we stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the guidance, to provide our clients with the most accurate and up-to-date advice.

At BC&A Innovation we take the burden of claim generation away from the business so you can do what you do best, while we do what we do best. We pride ourselves on our integrity, professionalism and commitment to our clients.

Not sure if you qualify for R&D tax relief? Book a FREE discovery call today.

Many of the businesses we work with were unsure if they qualified for R&D tax relief at first. A few had even been told by other agencies that they could not claim. Yet, with our help they were able to correctly identify eligible R&D projects and claim back vital funds.

As experts in HMRC’s definitions of Research & Development, we’ll be able to tell you if you should make a claim or not. We’re success fee based, which means it isn’t in our interest or yours to take forward claims that won’t pass HMRC’s stringent checks. If we say it’s worth doing, you can take that to the bank.

Ready for a discovery call? Think of it as a no-obligation chat where we can discuss the work you’ve undertaken and identify tax-saving opportunities. Our expert consultants are keen to speak with you.